


eNchanter

by loveseek630



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Magic, taekwoon is a sly fox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-07-13 21:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16026233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveseek630/pseuds/loveseek630
Summary: Hakyeon used to like the attention. He loved being a star. But he later realized downside of it. He was never able to form any kind of bond with people outside his family - because any emotion he felt fueled the magic within him and Hakyeon knew better than to form any kind of relationship when the other person is bewitched. If he ever got slightly interested in a person, he had to back away immediately. It wasn't easy, but he learned to live with it.He was used to being alone. And then he met Jung Taekwoon.





	1. Chapter 1

Hakyeon's very first memory from his childhood was his mother explaining their magic to him. He thought it was cool and sad at the same time. Cool because just how many people spent the early days of their childhood learning magic? But it was also extremely sad because he couldn't remember any instance when he got to play with other kids.

 

It was not like Hakyeon wanted to be this way. He was born in an enchanter family. They were a rare type of sorcerer, who, other than wielding magic, also had the innate ability to charm other people.

 

He was taught how to control his charm so as to not get mobbed by a crowd, but Hakyeon was a special case. For some reason, he could never completely conceal his charm the way his family could. Everywhere he went, people just turned their heads at him, staring - begging with their eyes for him to call them. 

 

Hakyeon used to like the attention. He loved being a star. But he later realized downside of it. He was never able to form any kind of bond with people outside his family - because any emotion he felt fueled the magic within him and Hakyeon knew better than to form any kind of relationship when the other person is bewitched. If he ever got slightly interested in a person, he had to back away immediately. It wasn't easy, but he learned to live with it.

 

When he got older, Hakyeon decided it was best to avoid being around other people. The forest was a friendly place. He was a head turner even for wild animals, but at least he didn't affect them the way he affected humans. There was no need to worry about people fawning over him. Except for his family members who occasionally visited and the merchants who traded with him, Hakyeon almost never interacted with anyone.

 

If he was honest, he felt lonely. It was his own choice to isolate himself, but sometimes, he couldn't help but wish there was someone to at least talk to.

 

"You're talking to me?" The white cat jumped onto his lap when he voiced out the sentiment while sitting on the porch one afternoon. "Isn't that why you gave me speech ability in the first place?" She curled up as Hakyeon automatically placed his hand conveniently for her head to lay on.

 

"Of course, you're great companion, Raven." Hakyeon sighed. "But it's different. I mean... I've seen my whole family bond with humans. Have friends, hang out. Interact like a normal person. I've always been envious of that."

 

"You can always get someone to come here and spend time with you." Raven yawned.

 

"That's the whole point of me being here! If I use my magic to have friends, are they even my friends at all? They'll just be puppets."

 

Raven looked up at him pointedly. "I didn't say use your magic. You can just plainly ask."

 

"If I can do that, I wouldn't be here. The moment I walk up to someone to even try, I get so nervous and my control just slips. My mom had to pull me away a couple of times before any prospected friend jumped on me." Hakyeon sighed again. He never hated being what he was. He loved his family and he enjoyed the perks of having magic in their blood. He just wished sometimes he had more control of his charm.

 

"That merchant seems to be okay. Wouldn't he be considered your friend by now?"

 

"Hongbin?"

 

"Yeah. He's nice and friendly. He's a snack too."

 

"Oh hush! He's coming!" Hakyeon hurriedly lifted Raven from his lap as he stood up. He set her down on the chair where she remained lying on her stomach until the merchant reached the porch and pulled up his horse.

 

"Hey! Great day!" Lee Hongbin was all big doe eyes and wide dimpled smiles. He was one of the few merchants that often passed by Hakyeon's forest and traded with him (He claimed the whole forest as his because he was the only person who lived there). He always cheerfully greeted Hakyeon, in contrast to the older merchants who were often wary of him, knowing he was an enchanter.

 

"Hey," Hakyeon greeted back. "I didn't expect to see you today." Somewhere, behind him, Raven meowed in sarcasm. Hakyeon turned his head to glare at her, but immediately turned back to Hongbin when he spoke.

 

"Your candles sold out quicker than expected this time." Hongbin alighted and went to the back of his carriage to retrieve something, presumably goods for Hakyeon.

 

"Oh, really? I'll go get more stocks for you then. Hold on." Hakyeon ran inside the house before Hongbin could answer. He quickly picked up a heavy box that he already prepared for trading, and then ran back out. "Here." Hakyeon put the box down on the porch ledge. "Same amount. Same price."

 

Hongbin's gaze lingered a little on Hakyeon's face before he pushed forward his own box that he took from the carriage. "Food, candle strings, ingredients, plus the potions you asked for last time."

 

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"

 

"Nothing." Hongbin grinned at him. Hakyeon, though confused, had a smile was plastered on his face, mirroring Hongbin's.

 

"Really? How come? The potions must have been expensive."

 

Hongbin reached for one of the string bags strapped to his waist, untied it, and then handed it out to Hakyeon. "I actually owe you."

 

Hakyeon received it but looked skeptical. Hongbin then explained, "Your wishing candles have been proven effective, so now more people want to buy them. The last set got sold at triple the normal price because the buyer was desperate to get it."

 

Before Hongbin could retract his hands, Hakyeon grabbed them back. It was on instinct. Hakyeon did not mean to do anything, or make Hongbin feel any certain way. He just did not want to accept the money that he didn't think belonged to him.

 

The moment their hands touched, Hongbin's cheeks flushed red, his pupils visibly dilating in his big doe eyes. It wasn't the first time Hakyeon's control slipped and definitely not the first time he got Hongbin flustered.

 

Hongbin have always been obviously affected by the charm, although he was usually calm and composed about it. More often than not, Hakyeon had to exert extra effort in suppressing the charm around him, because truthfully, he found Hongbin really attractive and it made him feel good that he was the only merchant who never feared him. Despite the effort, the charm just naturally seeped out sometimes. And if Hakyeon's control further slipped off, Hongbin would get very flustered, and sometimes, very touchy - something that Hakyeon knew was out of character.

 

Raven groaned, and Hakyeon immediately drew back, still clutching the bag of gold coins in his hand.

 

"I'm sorry," he apologized awkwardly. "I just... I mean this..." He held out the bag towards Hongbin, careful not to touch him, as if it would make a difference now. Hakyeon was getting all nervous and he knew his charm was leaking. "This is yours. I sell my goods to you on a fixed price and we trade on equal amount. If you make extra profit from my goods, it's all yours. I only take what I need."

 

"I... Uhhhmmm... Just thought, you deserved a share of the profit." Hongbin reached out, but instead of taking the bag of coins, he held Hakyeon's hand firmly with both of his, assuring him that it was okay to take the money. "I'll be raising the prices of your potions and candles from now on, so if you don't want the money, I'll just add the value to your food stock. For now, just take this."

 

Hongbin's gaze was fixed on Hakyeon's face while he still firmly held Hakyeon's hand. The way he smiled scared Hakyeon a little. It wasn't helping at all that Hakyeon felt like crying on the spot because the closest person he had to a friend was clearly acting under his charm. He was just lost and internally panicking

 

As Hongbin approached closer and slipped his hand higher up Hakyeon's arm, Raven jumped in between them - specifically stepping on Hongbin's hand so they would break contact. The surprise pulled Hakyeon back from his flood of emotions so he could take a step back and calm himself. He didn't even realize when Raven left her chair, but he was grateful.

 

Taking deep breaths, Hakyeon sucked in the charm that had been hanging in the air all around them. He couldn't completely take it in, but at least he could get Hongbin to calm down as well.

 

"I... I'm sorry." Hongbin said as he rubbed his hand. Raven did not purposely claw on him but he got a tiny scratch. "It happened again, I'm sorry."

 

Hakyeon was dumbfounded. It was in no way Hongbin's fault yet he was apologizing.

 

"I should be the one saying sorry. You didn't do anything, Hongbin. It's me and my stupid charm."

 

"It's not your fault either." Hongbin smiled at him, though this time Hakyeon was sure it was genuine. "I was serious about the profit share though. I'm making lot of money from your goods. You should be reaping the benefits of your work too."

 

Hakyeon bit his lower lip, hesitantly nodding to accept their new arrangement. He regretted it later when he realized the action drew Hongbin's attention to his lips as well.

 

"You should probably go." Hakyeon picked up newly delivered box of goods and took two steps back.

 

The disappointment on Hongbin's face made his heart ache, but they both knew it was best to keep distance.

 

So Hongbin reluctantly boarded his wagon again and left with just so much as a quick goodbye.

 

 

"See?" Hakyeon whined to Raven. "I can't get friends like this."

 

"Because he's hot? Try being friends with the ugly older ones then."

 

Hakyeon frowned at her. "They hate me. The only reason they still trade with me is because my goods are popular." 

 

He let out a heavy sigh as he set the box down on his working table. Raven didn't answer him anymore. She just climbed up the table top and walked up to him to rub her face against his torso while he silently organized his food and work supplies. 

 

"I'm going to walk around the lake," Hakyeon said as soon as he finished stocking up his food in the cupboard. Raven jumped down and ran after him, but he immediately followed it by "See you later," telling her that he wanted to be left alone.

 

The cat mewled disappointedly, but she sat back on a rag and let Hakyeon leave. This was Hakyeon's life. Silent and peaceful. Alone with his adopted cat. He was usually content with how things were but he occasionally found himself wanting more. The incident with Hongbin also drastically dampened his mood.

 

Times like this, he would usually go sit by the lake to relax. It was his favorite part of the forest. The sight of the calm water emanated the same serenity to him. The beautiful contrast between the clear blue sky, reflected by the lake waters, against the lush green leaves and dark trunks of the forest trees also reminded him how much he liked living there. He just loved beautiful things. And he loved the peace that the forest had given him.

 

Hakyeon stood by the edge of the lake and raised his arms open. He took in his surrounding with his whole body and breathed deeply. Soon enough, his limbs were moving gracefully with the wind. He was twisting and turning along the edge of the lake, dancing away in his own rhythm. The sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves were his music. Dancing was one of the few things that made Hakyeon undeniably happy. And it was the best thing about his solitude. He could dance without worrying about the emotions that come with it. He didn't have to control how he felt in order to suppress his charm. The movements just come easy as he let his emotions run free.

 

"Ack!"

 

There was couple of loud thuds behind him. Hakyeon immediately turned and found a man slipping off a boulder and falling onto the ground. The man sat still for a while and Hakyeon hesitated to approach him. But then he started screaming in pain, so Hakyeon hurriedly ran towards him.

 

Upon reaching, Hakyeon immediately found out why he was screaming. There was a thick, spotted python coiling around his leg from ankle to his knee.

 

"Calm down and try to stop screaming," Hakyeon's eyes flash yellow as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He crouched down beside him and their eyes met for a few seconds before Hakyeon turned to the angry snake on his leg.

 

He reached out with an open palm as he coaxed the snake into his hand. "Easy, my friend. Easy."

 

The snaked hissed at the man, but it slowly crawled towards Hakyeon. "Yes, come to me. Leave the poor guy alone." It wrapped itself around his arm, and later hang around his shoulders as he gently stroke its head. Once Hakyeon knew he had complete control of it, he turned back to face the man. 

 

"Are you okay?"

 

The man just stared at him. Hakyeon stared back at him, finally getting the chance to observe his features. He was still pale on the face, probably scared shitless because of what happened. Still, Hakyeon couldn't help but find him... strangely attractive with his sharp slanted eyes and small pouty lips.

 

Hakyeon realized his heart was beating just a little faster than normal so he quickly shook his head. He blinked his eyes back to their hazel brown color and tried to pull in all the charm he had released from the time he was dancing til he enthralled the snake.

 

There was hissing on his ear, so Hakyeon carefully lifted the heavy python from his shoulder and let it crawl back to the ground. "Go home, my friend. Be careful." He smiled as he waved goodbye to it.

 

The stranger still hadn't moved a muscle. Hakyeon was starting to feel uncomfortable. He was afraid he'd be too flustered if the man continued staring at him like that. Still, he felt obliged to make sure he was okay. So he reached for the pale hand that was still nervously clutching on the grass, "Are you-" 

 

He pulled away quickly before Hakyeon could even touch him. "You're... An enchanter?" The man's voice was shaky, but soft.

 

Hakyeon looked down. He wasn't ashamed of what he was, but more often than not, people's reaction towards him was hurtful.

 

"If you're not hurt, please get out of my forest immediately. This place is not safe for you, with hundreds of wild animals and an enchanter like me." Hakyeon stood up and turned around. He was about to walk away and go home, but then the man spoke again.

 

"I am hurt."

 

Hakyeon faced him again. The man was still not moving a muscle.

 

"It bit me. I feel numb right now. I'm probably going to die soon."

 

Hakyeon quirked a brow. "That's not how python bites work." He had to restrain a laugh, seeing how seriously scared the man was, though he wasn't sure if he was more scared of the snake or of Hakyeon himself. "They're non-venomous. It wasn't even trying to eat you. It was just angry with you for some reason."

 

Hakyeon crouched beside him again, but did not attempt to touch without permission. "You’re probably just feeling numb because you were scared."

 

"I... Wasn't that scared." The denial was weak. Hakyeon just smiled. "But my foot seriously hurts. I think it crushed my bones."

 

Hakyeon laughed. "I'm pretty sure your bones are intact." He had his hand hover over the man's leg and did a simple magic to reduce any bruising that might have been caused by the bite and constriction. Warning alarms sound inside Hakyeon's head when he noticed the man was starting to gain color back on his face – and the color was red.

 

"Anyway," Hakyeon stood up and took a few steps back, though still facing the stranger. "You should be okay."

 

"I told you, I'm not."

 

Hakyeon sighed. "I'm not sure what you want me to do?"

 

The man pouted at him. Hakyeon thought it was dangerously cute. He could physically feel his charm leaking and he was starting to panic.

 

"At least help me stand up?"

 

"Then I'll..." Hakyeon gulped. "Need to touch you. Are you okay with that?"

 

The man stretched out his left hand. A golden bracelet with shiny blue stones hung around his wrist.

 

Hakyeon hesitated, but it wasn't like he would just leave the poor man like that. So he grabbed his hand and pulled him up, making sure to catch him upright as he struggled to find his balance. Once he was stable, Hakyeon slowly backed away again.

 

"Thank you."

 

Hakyeon just smiled. He was ready to walk away again but then the man held out his left hand again.

 

"I'm Jung Taekwoon."

 

Hakyeon just stared at his hand. He found it odd because he thought the man - Taekwoon - seemed to be scared and aloof when he first tried to touch him. So Hakyeon thought it was his charm that was suddenly making Taekwoon act friendly towards him. He was aware that his control had slipped more than once already since the first time he laid eyes on Taekwoon.

 

Taekwoon retracted his hand awkwardly. 

 

"Do you know your way out of the forest?"

 

"If I say I don't," Taekwoon's voice was too soft and Hakyeon could barely hear it. He wondered if that was how he spoke naturally or if it had something to do with how flustered he was. He also thought it was impossible for his pale skin to get any redder, but he just kept blushing harder as they spoke. "Would you walk me out?"

 

Hakyeon found it so, so, endearing. But he knew he shouldn't let himself get carried away.

 

"I think you'll be fine on your own." Hakyeon turned around and walked as fast as he could, keeping his eyes on the ground and repeatedly convincing himself not to stop. It turned out he didn't need to even glance back, because Taekwoon just took few long strides to catch up to him.

 

"I'm really not fine," Taekwoon whined as he walked briskly along with Hakyeon, his leg still hurting both from his fall and the snake's constriction. "You said it yourself, this place isn't safe for me. And I'm-" Before he could finish his sentence, Hakyeon heard a loud growling from his stomach.

 

"I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten anything in almost two days."

 

Hakyeon stopped walking. He sighed and tried to relax himself, hoping to shut all of his magic inside him at least for a moment. Then he stared at Taekwoon again and carefully studied the expressions on his face. 

 

"You know I'm an enchanter."

 

Taekwoon nodded.

 

"Aren't you scared of what I can do to you?"

 

"You saved me back there," Taekwoon said earnestly.

 

"But you were scared of me... Earlier?"

 

"I... Just don't like to be touched in general. Plus I was still in shock. I'm sorry if it came across badly."

 

Hakyeon thought it was a bad idea. Given how he was instantly attracted to Taekwoon, something was bound to go wrong somewhere. But how could he refuse when he had just been sulking about not having friends and here came this Jung Taekwoon sincerely asking for his companionship.

 

"I have really poor control of my charm," Hakyeon warned.

 

"It's fine." Taekwoon raised his left hand and wiggled his wrist. "I have charm-resistance."

 

The jewelry glistened in the sunlight. Hakyeon's eyes widened as he stared at it and realized what it was. He had heard stories about charm resistance through potions and enchanted gems, but he had never actually seen it.

 

"That's interesting," Hakyeon unconsciously tried to touch the bracelet but Taekwoon pulled back. "Sorry," he dropped his hand.

 

"No, it's just... It's instinct."

 

"I wasn't trying to take it," Hakyeon said defensively.

 

"I know."

 

There was another loud growl from Taekwoon's stomach. Hakyeon chuckled as Taekwoon bashfully rubbed his tummy.

 

"You said you haven't eaten in two days?" He started walking again, but this time he waited for Taekwoon to sync his strides with him. Taekwoon had noticeably long legs.

 

"I'm... A wanderer. I just travel from one place to another without any destination. I eat whatever I find during my journey, but... The last town I passed by was four days ago. Anything I had left was stolen by a monkey who ran away with my satchel when I entered this forest three days ago."

 

"You can always just pick fruits from the trees. They're mostly safe to eat. Wait - You've been here for three days?"

 

"I did try to just pick something up, but the most I got were two apples and a few nuts. The animals here seem to be all possessive." Taekwoon then muttered under his breath, "like that snake earlier."

 

"Huh? Did you try to steal food from him? That wasn't wise. You could have been his food!"

 

Taekwoon scrunched his face and just shrugged.

 

"My house is nearby." Hakyeon really didn't think it was a good idea, but he had always wanted to invite a friend over. "Come over for a quick meal."

 

The way Taekwoon's face lit up warmed Hakyeon's heart so much. He had never been able to make anyone that happy. His family loved him and supported him, but he always felt like he was a big disappointment to them because of his inability to control his charm. He couldn't believe he could make anyone genuinely happy, even if it was over the mere offer of food.

 

As soon as the house came into view, Taekwoon surprisingly ran ahead towards the porch. 

 

"Woah!" It was the loudest sound Hakyeon had heard from Taekwoon's mouth since they started talking. He ran after Taekwoon and found out what suddenly excited him - Raven was waiting at the porch.

 

"What's his name?" Taekwoon picked her up in his arms and started cuddling her, playing with her snow white fur.

 

"Raven. And she's a girl." Hakyeon smiled fondly at the sight. Taekwoon seemed to really like the cat, and although she was confused for a moment, Raven had relaxed in his arms and was rather enjoying the scratches at the back of her ears.

 

He did squint at Hakyeon upon hearing the name though. "Raven?" He asked, as if it was the craziest thing he ever heard. Hakyeon understood the peculiarity. He named a white cat Raven, after all.

 

"Her eyes are black."

 

That startled Taekwoon. He lifted the cat to his eye level and stared at her pitch black eyes. "Oh. Wow. It's not just dilated. It's really all black."

 

Hakyeon side-stepped him and proceeded to enter the house. Taekwoon soon followed, with Raven still in his arms.

 

"Is it magic? I've never seen a cat with black eyes."

 

"She was like that when I found her. She said she was just born that way." It was one of the reasons he adopted her. Everyone found her weird and creepy, just like him.

 

"You can talk to her? Aahhh right. You have magic. With the snake too, earlier."

 

Hakyeon paused by the kitchen door. "I can't actually talk to animals in their language. I just charmed the snake away from you. Her, on the other hand," he opened his arms and signaled Raven to jump on to him, which she obediently did (soliciting a small whine from Taekwoon). Hakyeon caught her and petted her head. "She's a special case. I use my magic on her."

 

"Ahhh. I see." Taekwoon took a step to follow Hakyeon into the kitchen but then backtracked when Hakyeon looked pointedly at him.

 

"Stay there for a bit. Sit on the couch or something. Make yourself at home. You can check out those books, or the paintings, or basically the whole house. Just don't touch the potions."

 

Taekwoon nodded with a smile. He did a once over of the interior and found himself busy getting fascinated with everything he saw, especially with the amount of candles aesthetically scattered around the house.

 

Hakyeon then proceeded to the kitchen with Raven.

 

"Mind explaining?"

 

Hakyeon put her down on the counter as he told her how he found Taekwoon by the lake, whispering softly so Taekwoon wouldn't hear.

 

"You think it's okay to just let him into your house?"

 

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Hakyeon admitted. "But he seems nice. And he has that charm-resistance stone so I'm just hoping for the best?"

 

"By hoping for the best, you mean?"

 

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Hakyeon answered defensively. "I just want to help him. That's all."

 

Raven squinted at him, but didn't push further. She went back to silently watching Hakyeon prepare dinner. Hakyeon knew she was probably over thinking things the same way he was, but neither of them spoke about it. She later walked out of the kitchen to find Taekwoon and cuddle with him again.

 

~

 

"I'm not the best cook," Hakyeon made a disclaimer as they sat on the dining table. He frowned  when Raven snorted. "Hey, I've been living alone for years and cooking only for myself and for your ungrateful ass."

 

Raven purred smugly.  _I didn't say anything._

 

Hakyeon continued glaring at her until he heard Taekwoon chuckling. Embarrassed, he just fixed his eyes on his own plate and started eating.

 

"Thank you for the meal." Taekwoon picked up his own spoon and started eating. "It's..." He hummed as he waited for the taste to sink in. Hakyeon nervously peeked at him through his fringe. "It's pretty good." Taekwoon smiled. "But I think I can do better."

 

A grunt escaped Hakyeon's lips. "You should have told me earlier. I would have let you cook."

 

"I'll cook for you tomorrow then?"

 

Hakyeon choked. Raven shot her head up.

 

"Tomorrow?"

 

"Yeah. Breakfast, or lunch?"

 

Hakyeon just stared at him. He was under the impression Taekwoon was going to leave after eating.

 

"If you'd let me stay, of course." 

 

It was unfair, Hakyeon thought, that a simple pout from Taekwoon could make him feel all soft and weak. That should have been a clear indication that letting Taekwoon stay was not the best decision for his sanity, but his heart was saying otherwise.

 

"Well, it is getting dark. It will be dangerous for you to walk through the forest at night."

 

~

 

"You think it's not dangerous for him to spend a night with you?" Raven asked pointedly later that night when Hakyeon was preparing his room. He only had one bedroom in his house, so Taekwoon would have to either sleep on the couch or on the floor. His legs were way too long for the couch so Hakyeon decided to just lay futons on the floor and share his room.

 

Hakyeon huddled the futon on his arms and sat on the bed. "You think I should have made him leave?"

 

"No. Not really. But I'm worried for him. And for you. We don't know anything about him after all. And we don't know the capacity of those resistance stones he has."

 

"I'm worried too." Hakyeon sulked. "But you know I've always wanted a friend." It was very new to Hakyeon - having someone that was not his family stay this close to him. It scared him. He wondered if he was giving in to the desires of his heart too easily and if it would bite him back right on the face later on. Another crazy part of his brain thought maybe Taekwoon was a more powerful enchanter who was trying to charm him. Although if Taekwoon had any magic, Hakyeon was sure he would have been able to sense it.

 

"Why do I feel like you're not just looking for a friend?" Raven was squinting at him again.

 

"He's...." Hakyeon started to blush. "He's quite charming... in his own way. But I'm really just happy having someone else here. Can't I just enjoy that?" 

 

Taekwoon soon returned from the bath, cutting off the conversation in the room. He was wearing the clothes that Hakyeon lent him and just the sight of it made Hakyeon's heart flutter even more.

 

~

 

"Thank you for today." Taekwoon softly spoke as he lay on the floor. Hakyeon propped himself up on one elbow and peeked at him from his bed.

 

"If you have charm resistance, how come you blush so much?" Hakyeon had the question at the back of his head the whole afternoon. He couldn't help but ask now as he watched the color flush on Taekwoon's face under the dim candlelight from his chandelier.

 

Taekwoon raised his blanket to cover his face up to under his eyes. He mostly fixed his eyes on the ceiling but he occasionally glanced at Hakyeon.

 

"That's just how I am. Whether it's an enchanter or not, I'm just easily embarrassed."

 

"Hmmm... So how effective are those stones exactly?"

 

"Pretty effective. They were very useful, especially when I was a sorcerer hunter."

 

Hakyeon suddenly pushed himself up and sat alarmed. Raven, who had been lying on the bed with Hakyeon, also shot up. "You're telling me I saved a sorcerer hunter, willingly let him inside my house, gave him a meal and even let him sleep in my room?"

 

Realizing the panic in Hakyeon's tone, Taekwoon sat up as well and explained nervously. "I... It's not like that. I was only looking for one specific sorcerer. One from my hometown. That's why I started travelling. But along the way, I've met evil ones. You know, those kind that take advantage of people and use their magic to do bad things. I used to fight that type and townspeople would usually compensate me."

 

Hakyeon relaxed a little. He had always been strongly against the evil use of magic. Still, it felt weird that he was only finding out about Taekwoon's job now. "How do you know I'm not the evil type? What if I suddenly attack you while you're sleeping? No, wait, how do I know you won't attack me while I sleep?"

 

"You have every reason not to trust me. I’d understand if you would like me to leave now. But do know I don't just capture every sorcerer I meet. I've become friends with some good ones too. And I can tell you’re a good person. You saved me and accommodated me into your house. I know I was being shameless imposing myself on you like this. I'm... Really grateful.”

 

Raven purred at how Hakyeon's gaze softened as he listened to Taekwoon.

 

"Anyway, I stopped hunting after I found the one that I originally set out to find. There's not much evil around these days. Humans and sorcerers have mostly learned how to dwell with each other peacefully. Enchanters are the only ones that everyone is often wary of, but they're a rare type."

 

Hakyeon growled. "I'm an enchanter."

 

"I..." Taekwoon crawled closer to the bed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

 

"Yeah, I know." Hakyeon sighed. "You're just stating facts. That's why we're a rare type now. Even other sorcerers used to hunt us."

 

"People hate what they don't have and they fear what they can't control."

 

It made Hakyeon think more about himself. He always thought he was proud of who he was, but deep inside, he had always been scared of that power he couldn't control. Suddenly, he felt huge, warm hands, holding his. He looked up at Taekwoon who was now kneeling by the side of his bed.

 

 "I think you're a beautiful person who is kind enough to let a total stranger into your house and feed him. You didn't just save me from being devoured by that snake, you saved me from starvation too. I am in your debt."

 

Hakyeon chuckled. "You really tend to be overly dramatic, don't you? I don't think I can trust a word you say." Still, he squeezed Taekwoon's hands lightly, as if saying he could actually believe everything.

 

"I don't think you ever fully trusted me in the first place."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You never told me your name."

 

Hakyeon found it funny how it skipped him, and yet there they were, holding hands in the middle of the night.

 

"Hakyeon. I'm Cha Hakyeon."

 

"Hakyeon," Taekwoon repeated, as if testing the sound of it. "Hi, Hakyeon. I'm Jung Taekwoon."

 

"It's my pleasure to meet you," Hakyeon laughed, riding along with the formality.

 

"The pleasure is mine," Taekwoon smiled at him.

 

Raven mewled as she rolled her head in annoyance. "If you guys can stop flirting, I'd like to go to sleep." Hakyeon blushed but the implication of flirting totally flew over Taekwoon's head as he was more fascinated with Raven's voice. 

 

"Woah, she really talks!" Taekwoon let go of Hakyeon's hands and cooed at Raven instead, but the cat just slipped next to Hakyeon and ignored Taekwoon's fussing.

 

"She doesn't really like to talk in front of other people."

 

Taekwoon pouted as he kept stroking Raven's back.

 

"You like cats?"

 

"She's very cute."

 

At that, Raven turned her face away from Taekwoon and buried her face onto Hakyeon's bed sheets. Hakyeon giggled and patted her head. "She likes you too."

 

-=o0o=-


	2. Chapter 2

As promised, Taekwoon prepared Hakyeon's breakfast. It wasn't anything special, but it was more than what Hakyeon could usually do. Admittedly, Taekwoon was a better cook than him. 

 

"Where do you plan to go after this?" Hakyeon threw the question while they were eating.

 

 "I don't really know. I just go wherever my feet take me." Taekwoon pursed his lips and stared hesitantly at Hakyeon. "I'm gonna go and try to find my satchel before I leave though."

 

"Oh," Hakyeon leaned forward on the table, suddenly more interested in the conversation. "Is there anything important in there?"

 

"Not much. Just... a few weapons, supplies, basically my survival kit."

 

"I can let you stay here while you're looking for it. The forest is quite expansive. It may not be easy trying to find your thief." Hakyeon bit his lower lip. He hoped with all his might that he didn't sound the way he thought he did. "Or well, I can give just get you new supplies if you want to leave already."

 

There was obvious effort to repress Taekwoon's smile, but to Hakyeon (and Raven), it just made him look a little too delighted. "I'd like to try finding my satchel, thank you. They're not exactly important but some of those things, I've had with me for a long time already. I kind of don't want to give up on them just yet."

 

"Ooooooooookay," Hakyeon nodded slowly, his smile was the very same kind on Taekwoon's face. He thought he heard a judging purr somewhere but it barely registered in his brain.

 

~

Hakyeon offered to accompany Taekwoon in his search. He wasn't lying when he said the forest was expansive and dangerous for Taekwoon. Although he also learned that Taekwoon was not totally incapable of protecting himself - he was a sorcerer hunter after all. Taekwoon was quite nimble, and despite his slender figure, he was quite muscled and strong. Still, Hakyeon had to use his charm a couple of times to drive aggressive animals away because Taekwoon didn't want to hurt them.

 

"So you didn't want to hurt that snake yesterday, huh?" Hakyeon teased.

 

"Even if I did,I didn't have any weapon at the time. It really took me by surprise too." Taekwoon answered as he slashed down a couple of vines on their way. Hakyeon lent him a glaive to help them get through the woods easier. "As much as I don't want to admit it, I'm weak against snakes too. They just really creep me out."

 

"They're not that bad. Snakes can be cute too!"

 

"You are the first person I met who thinks snakes are cute."

 

Hakyeon giggled. "I have a soft spot for creatures that most people fear."

 

Taekwoon paused and stared at him. Even without asking, he could infer Hakyeon's reason. "I used to think enchanters had it easy... Because they can use their charm to make everyone like them."

 

"That's what most people think." Hakyeon sighed bitterly. "But most enchanters can only charm one or two persons at a time. Depending on how strong they are too, sometimes they can't completely control someone even under thrall. It's easy to persecute them once they’re caught."

 

"Yeah, I learned that too.” Taekwoon did not fail to notice the resigned expression on Hakyeon's face. He regretted how he turned the conversation that way. “A lot of enchanters try to hide what they are because most people automatically assume they're evil. But you... did not hesitate to use your charm to help me. I'm really thankful." 

 

"You've thanked me enough." Hakyeon forced a smile. 

 

Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon's arm to stop him from walking. "Let's rest for a bit. I'm hungry." They have been walking around the forest for half a day already and they have not encountered a single monkey. 

 

Hakyeon looked around and sat on a boulder to rest. He reached down the bag of snacks that he carried, pulled out a loaf of bread, and handed it to Taekwoon, who was just leaning on a huge tree trunk beside him. 

 

"So what's your story?" Taekwoon suddenly asked.

 

"Just that I'm an enchanter. That's all there really is to me."

 

"I don't think so." Taekwoon split the loaf and gave the half to Hakyeon. They started eating quietly as Hakyeon did not seem to want to continue the topic, but Taekwoon kept staring at him expectantly.

 

"Hmmm? What else do you think there is?"

 

"I don’t know. What are you doing here?”

 

Hakyeon hummed as he thought of what to say. "Like you said, most enchanters hide their charm. But I can’t hide mine."

 

"Ah, you said you have poor control..."

 

"To be exact, I can easily control people and make them act exactly as I wish if I wanted to. I don't do that, of course. Putting people or even animals under thrall makes me feel sick in the stomach, unless it is to save myself from danger. So I rarely use it. The problem is, I can't conceal my charm. With animals, I can only enthrall them if I actually wanted to. But with humans, the charm works even if I don't want it to. I just attract everyone around me somehow."

 

"You sure it's the charm and not just because you're actually attractive?" Taekwoon's words were almost whispered, as if he might not have wanted to voice it out. His gaze was fixed on the ground, his cheeks feeling slightly warm with a tinge of shyness.

 

"I wish it was like that," Hakyeon sighed, almost giggling at the thought. "I mean I know I am fairly attractive. But it's more like a leak of the charm. And when I get emotional, the charm just leaks everywhere. In that case, it's either I take full control of it and literally make them walk away from me, or I force myself to calm down and shut it in. I hate doing the first one because I know humans feel great intrusion when someone else is controlling their bodies.”

 

"What happens when you slip?" 

 

"Bad things." Hakyeon shivered just thinking of it. "The effect is kind of proportional to the intensity of my emotions. One time when I was ten, I fought with one of my sisters so my father brought me to the market to distract me. He was hoping I would feel better, but I was still fuming and I lost control. The people around us suddenly started grabbing at me. When I was hitting puberty, there were some guys who would jerk themselves off as I passed by. A few girls also touched their breasts or shoved them at me."

 

"That... sounds traumatic."

 

"It was."

 

"I'm sorry for asking."

 

Hakyeon shrugged. "It's not all bad. See, I can live alone in a forest like this and not worry one bit about my safety because I know my ability can protect me."

 

"But did you really want to live alone like this?" Taekwoon mentally scolded himself as he noticed Hakyeon's shoulders dropped at the question. He was asking way too many personal questions that probably made Hakyeon uncomfortable.

 

"As long as I'm a dumb and weak sorcerer who can't control my charm, I'd rather live like this."

 

"You're not dumb or weak." Taekwoon swallowed the last bit of bread and then sat beside Hakyeon. "Didn't it ever cross your mind that you can't control your charm not because you're weak, but because your magic is stronger than that of other enchanters?"

 

Hakyeon stared at him. "That's... really presumptuous. I don't think I'll be that powerful?"

 

"You said most enchanters can control at most two people at the same time, but even as a child, you got a whole crowd affected by your charm."

 

It was the first time Hakyeon heard this point of view about himself. He never really considered the possibility, and he found it hard to believe even as Taekwoon laid it out to him. But it would be idiotic to not see Taekwoon's point.

 

"I really doubt that," Hakyeon stood up and brushed off the bread crumbs from his lap. "But I guess looking at it that way would make me feel less incompetent." He turned and smiled at Taekwoon. "Thank you."

 

Taekwoon smiled back as he stood up. "We should go now. We have a monkey to find."

 

 

They continued searching for the whole day. And for another two days. They found a few troops of monkeys, some of which had stolen a few things from merchants, but none had Taekwoon's satchel. Hakyeon guessed whichever monkey stole from Taekwoon probably did not bring the goods back to his troop.

 

"Are you even still searching?" Raven eyed Hakyeon suspiciously as they sat on the porch while Taekwoon was cooking dinner. "Aren't you just going on dates in the woods?"

 

"I hate you." At this point, Hakyeon had gotten used to Raven's teasing that he learned how to act like he wasn’t embarrassed anymore.

 

"Oh, so you hate me now that you have a new friend?"

 

"You're not jealous that I've been spending more time with him, are you?" He faked a gasp and cooed at her. "Are you?"

 

Raven whimpered. "I'm not. Though I'd like to remind you the merchants are going to come soon and you haven't made a single potion since Taekwoon arrived."

 

"Oh," Hakyeon straightened up. "You're right. I should take care of that too."

 

Raven jumped off him and let him stand to go inside the house.

 

"Hakyeon," she called before he opened the door.

 

"The past three days have been the happiest I've seen you and I'm glad you finally got yourself the friend that you wanted."

 

Hakyeon smiled, but he knew a warning was about to follow.

 

"Be careful. I don't want to see you break when he leaves."

 

He could only respond with a silent nod. They have only known each other for three days, but the idea of Taekwoon leaving terrified him. He felt like he didn't know how to be alone again. It bothered him so much even as he kept himself busy making his potions. 

 

He barely talked to Taekwoon that night, or the next few days that followed. He had the excuse of having to work on his merchandise so he did not accompany Taekwoon on his search. Even after he was done making potions and candles, he had to stay in the house and wait for the merchants to come. He felt bad, and he really wanted to spend more time with Taekwoon, but he didn't want to help in the search either. The sooner they found Taekwoon's things, the sooner he would leave too. Hakyeon wanted to prolong his stay even just a little.

 

More than a week after Taekwoon came, things have become routinary in Hakyeon's house. Taekwoon would cook breakfast in the morning and prepare some food he could bring with him on his search. Hakyeon would cast a protective spell on him before he left the house to ensure he would not get hurt during the day. As soon as Taekwoon left, Hakyeon would slip back to his old routine, cleaning his house, working on his candles, waiting for merchants to trade with and occasionally deliver letters from his family, and sitting on the porch with Raven. Occasionally, he would go out to pick some berries in the forest, but Taekwoon also often came home with fruits on hand. Before the sun set, Taekwoon would return to cook dinner for them, and then help clean up after eating.

 

Hakyeon liked this routine. It felt so domestic. and... normal. Of course there was always that fear that maybe Taekwoon would come back one afternoon and tell him he finally found what he was looking for. Or maybe he would not even come back to say goodbye to Hakyeon and just suddenly leave. Whenever Taekwoon came back just a little late in the evening, Hakyeon also worried if something bad happened to him. And every night, he was scared that Taekwoon would tell him he gave up on looking for his stuff and just ask him for help getting a new set of supplies. He was growing more anxious each day, but whenever Taekwoon came home and smiled at him, he felt all warm and happy.

 

-=o0o=-

 

They learned more about each other as days passed by. Whenever they ate breakfast and dinner together, or sometimes as they lay on their backs at night before going to sleep, they would talk about random things. It was mostly Hakyeon rambling about his family shennenigans because that was all he had to talk about himself. Taekwoon rarely mentioned his family, so Hakyeon just often asked about his adventures when he was still travelling, like what places he had been to, or if he got the scar on his elbow from sorcerer hunting.

 

Other things, Hakyeon just found out by accident - like how good Taekwoon sounded when he sang.

 

~

 

Taekwoon gasped in shock when he turned around to set the platters on the dining table and found Hakyeon sitting there. Hakyeon giggled at the cute reaction.

 

"You surprised me! Ho- how long have you been there?"

 

"You have a really nice voice," was Hakyeon's answer.

 

 Taekwoon ducked his head a little and scrunched his face. He was singing a song while cooking dinner and he didn't notice Hakyeon enter. "I thought you were busy in your workshop."

 

"I got hungry so I came here and got mesmerized by your beautiful voice. I thought it would be a shame to interupt your singing so I just sat here quietly and listened."

 

The soup was all ready for serving but Taekwoon decided to just grab the ladle and keep stirring, avoiding Hakyeon's gaze. 

 

"Oh? Are you being shy right now?" Hakyeon teased.

 

Taekwoon just grunted.

 

"Hey, I was serious. Your voice really sounds good. I'd like to hear you sing more."

 

"..."

 

"Please?"

 

Scooping up two bowls of soup, Taekwoon pretended not to hear anything. He just proceeded to set the table and then sat down with Hakyeon when everything was ready.

 

"I'm hungry. Let's eat."

 

Hakyeon pouted. He grabbed Taekwoon's arm and tugged on him. "Can't you sing for me?"

 

Taekwoon groaned, blush was creeping from his ears down towards his cheeks. "It's embarrassing."

 

"You were singing just fine earlier!"

 

"It's different when someone's watching."

 

"I won't watch then. I'll just close my eyes and listen. I just want to hear your voice."

 

Taekwoon slipped his arm off Hakyeon's hold and covered his face with his gigantic hands. "No... I don't want to."

 

"Okay." Hakyeon sulked. "Fine."

 

Through his fingers, Taekwoon could see Hakyeon was starting to poke his potato grumpily.

 

"Promise not to laugh."

 

Hakyeon's face brightened up as he looked at Taekwoon. "I promise! Why would I laugh anyway?"

 

Taekwoon sighed. His face was burning so he started fanning himself with his hands. He took a few more deep breaths before he started singing. 

 

It was an unfamiliar song to Hakyeon, but both Taekwoon's voice and the actual melody were soothing. He felt all warm, like he wanted to melt at just the sound of it. The lyrics felt comforting too. Hakyeon did not even realized that he closed his eyes at some point. When Taekwoon finished his song, Hakyeon clutched at his chest and exclaimed, "Wow, Taekwoon!"

 

Taekwoon buried his face into his arms in embarrassment.

 

"You did great! Omygod, my heart is crying right now because it was so so good! I was really moved! I don't understand what you're so shy about!"

 

"I'm... Just not used to singing in front of people."

 

"That's a shame! Your voice should be heard by more people! By the whole world, even!"

 

"Stop it," Taekwoon whined, but there was an undeniably flattered smile on his face. "Let's just eat."

 

Hakyeon just snorted. They started eating when Raven joined them on the table.

 

"Aahhh," Taekwoon suddenly spoke, his mouth still half-full. "I sang for you, you should dance for me."

 

Raven threw a scrutinizing look as Hakyeon's eyes widened in surprise.

 

"Don't talk while your mouth is full. Just keep eating."

 

Taekwoon swallowed quickly and drank some water. After putting his glass down with a slight thud, he made a show of his empty mouth to Hakyeon and leaned forward. "You made me sing."

 

"Irrelevant." Hakyeon kept a straight face as he shoved more food into his mouth.

 

Taekwoon didn't move. He just kept staring expectantly at Hakyeon. When Hakyeon finally felt uncomfortable with being watched while eating, he put down his fork and stared back at Taekwoon.

 

"I'm a horrible dancer."

 

"Liar. I saw you by the lake."

 

Hakyeon felt the heat rise on his face and he pursed his lips. "We're eating right now. It's bad manners. Not like I can dance here anyway."

 

"Later then, outside."

 

Hakyeon let out a desperate sigh. "Taekwoon..."

 

"You made me sing," Taekwoon repeated.

 

"Because you have a beautiful voice!" Hakyeon exclaimed. "And there's no reason for you to hide that gem!"

 

"Do you have a reason then?"

 

There was a noticeable change of expression on Hakyeon's face from embarrassed to... somewhat lonely. Taekwoon even caught Raven suddenly giving him cautious looks.

 

"What is it?" Taekwoon asked tentatively.

 

"I've always loved dancing," Hakyeon sighed as he slowly started eating again. "But I can't dance in front of anyone."

 

Taekwoon also resumed eating, but he listened attentively to Hakyeon. He could feel the sad resignation that came with every word coming out of his mouth.

 

"When I was young, I loved watching theatrical performances because I admired the dancers so much. I told myself I would perform in front of a big audience one day." It was one of his biggest tragedies - being unable to do something he really wanted.

 

"You can't?" It then dawned on Taekwoon. He regretted that he seemed to have asked another question he probably shouldn't have. "Because of the charm?" 

 

"Dancing is all about the emotions you want to convey through your movements. I told you my emotions directly affect my magic, so dancing would release the charm on full blow. If i danced in front of an audience, it would be a disaster."

 

The dining table fell silent for a moment. Even Raven did not make a single sound. She knew how sensitive the topic was for Hakyeon.

 

"I'll be your audience."

 

Both Hakyeon and Raven turned their heads towards him.

 

"The charm doesn't affect me, remember? You don't have to worry. I know I'm a little too insignificant compared to the big audience you wanted, but you'll have one and I'm telling you I already love it."

 

Hakyeon gripped his knife and fork tightly. His heart was swelling with joy and he didn't know how to react. Taekwoon was really flipping his world upside down.

 

"Thank you, Taekwoon. That means a lot to me." Hakyeon blinked back happy tears, though he did give Raven a worried glance. They both knew how Hakyeon was getting more and more attached to Taekwoon and it just fueled their fear of how he would take it when Taekwoon finally leaves.

 

Raven purred and gave him a prodding nod. Hakyeon took it as an approval to just enjoy the moment.

 

~

 

Hakyeon did not dance that night and Taekwoon did not force him to. They were too full from dinner and he still had merchandise to finish. But he did promise Taekwoon that he would perform for him once they get the chance for it. The promise was enough to put a child-like, blissful smile on Taekwoon's face.

 

"If you don't mind me asking," Taekwoon asked while they were preparing to sleep. "Are there other things you wanted to do but wasn't able to because of your magic?"

 

"There's probably quite a few but my mind is blank right now." Hakyeon sat on his bed after drawing the sheets open. "Maybe hugging? Or just touching other people, really."

 

Taekwoon tipped his head sideward and squinted. "Touching is overrated."

 

"Right," Hakyeon chuckled. "You said don't like being touched, didn't you?" Then he sighed as he stared dreamily at the chandelier lights. "I remember being envious of my siblings who got to casually cling onto their friends."

 

"Does touching trigger the charm too?"

 

"Not really. It's just that I couldn't make any friends so I did not have anyone to cling on to. There's a huge age gap between my siblings and I. We're close enough as family, but we don't really cuddle and stuff like that. So whenever I see how comfortable they were with their friends, I felt a little touch-deprived. You know, those little things, when they slap each other on the arm when they laugh too hard, link their arms together as they walked, hug each other for comfort... I never experienced those things because the charm always got in the way of me trying to befriend anyone."

 

"You touched me... earlier."

 

"What?" Hakyeon blinked, trying to recall what he had done. "I did?"

 

"When you were asking me to sing, you were tugging on my arm." The pink tinge on Taekwoon's cheeks had become almost became a daily sight. He really was too easily flustered.

 

"Oh," Hakyeon let his jaw drop, his eyes drifting to his side, away from Taekwoon. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

 

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." 

 

"No, you clearly said you didn't like to get touched."

 

"In general," Taekwoon slipped himself under the blanket. "I don't like touching in general."

 

Hakyeon squinted at him, trying to figure out his point. "Yeah, so I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

 

"It's fine," Taekwoon repeated. The blanket was high enough to cover most of his face, so Hakyeon could only see his eyes. "It's fine if it's you... I don't mind."

 

Hakyeon bit back a smile, knowing Raven was throwing him a half-judging, half-cringing look. "If you say something like that, I might get the wrong idea, you know. I won't hold myself back."

 

"I said it's okay. You can do what you want." Taekwoon raised his blanket higher and covered his whole face as he turned his back on Hakyeon. "I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight!" His last words were said so hurriedly that it almost sounded slurred, but Hakyeon very much understood him.

 

Butterflies in his stomach would be an understatement. Hakyeon was high on the clouds. He knew he was in the danger of falling really hard, but he couldn't help himself. Just when he thought he couldn't get more moved, Taekwoon just kept tugging on his heart. 

 

Raven nudged his arm. Hakyeon expected another stern warning or at least a worried look, but he was met with a teasing smile instead. He giggled as he scratched her chin and she gave him a knowing look. He hugged her as they lay on the bed.

 

"Do you think this is okay?" He whispered really softly into her ear, deep into the night, when he thought Taekwoon was already sleeping.

 

"It's not like you can stop, can't you?" She whispered back.

 

"I'm scared." Hakyeon admitted. He was happy - way happier than he thought he should be. That meant he was also scared of the wheels suddenly turning. If that happiness was suddenly taken away from him, he wouldn't know what to do.

 

"For now, just take it as it is."

 

Hakyeon hummed and patted her head.

 

"The handsome merchant is coming tomorrow, right?"

 

"Hongbin? Yeah. What about him suddenly?"

 

Raven turned to glance at Taekwoon who was laying still under his blanket. She turned back to Hakyeon sounding a little more serious. "I've been curious about something. Maybe you could ask him."

 

-=o0o=-

 

"Have you ever heard of charm resistance jewels?"

 

Hongbin was surprised by the sudden question, but he smiled his big dimpled smile as he set two trading boxes on Hakyeon's ledge board.

 

Taekwoon left early that day, and Hakyeon just sat at the porch waiting for Hongbin for their weekly trade.

 

"Of course I have." He slipped a hand through the lapel of his top garment and pulled out a jewel hanging around his neck.

 

"What?!" Hakyeon crossed the ledge and stepped towards Hongbin, inspecting the jewel closely. It was a thumb-sized red gem, shaped like a water droplet, different from Taekwoon's tiny blue stones. "You've always had this?"

 

"It's not just me. It’s a must-have for most merchants because we deal with different types of sorcerers. It's not just for charm. It also has a little bit of resistance to other types of magic.”

 

“Do they all look and work differently? My friend has blue ones.”

 

“I’m not sure. These stones are naturally mined and sold in underground markets for a high price because of its rarity and value. I heard there’s also a type that can be created by powerful sorcerers, but ever since I started peddling, I’ve only used this kind of resistance jewel.”

 

“Wow, I’ve never heard of this.”

 

“We usually don't talk about it because well, it's some sort of protection for us."

 

"Protection... from us..." Hakyeon didn't realize he said it out loud. It was just a fleeting thought, but Hongbin got all worried about him.

 

"Hey," He slipped the jewel back under his clothes. "Even if I didn't have this, I'd still come here to trade with you."

 

Hakyeon smiled, but as he looked at Hongbin, he finally noticed the blush that had crept on his face from the moment Hakyeon crossed the ledge to approach him.

 

"You had this thing the whole time? But you still get charmed a lot?"

 

"There's only so much that the gem could do. If the sorcerer holds greater power, the gem sometimes becomes useless. The great Cha Hakyeon is too much for any gem." Hongbin intended to tease, but Hakyeon was too anxious to laugh about it.

 

"Oh," He hurriedly went back behind the ledge. "I'm sorry."

 

Hongbin rolled his eyes. "You always apologize unnecessarily. It annoys me more than your charm slip-ups." He grunted as he picked up Hakyeon's goods and carried it to his wagon. "I don't know about you, and I hate to say mushy things like this, but I consider you my friend. Even when your control slips, I trust you and I feel safe with you. "

 

"Thank you," Hakyeon smiled as he watched Hongbin prepare to leave. "I think of you as a friend too."

 

"If that's the case, stop beating yourself up over your tiny slip ups and just work on those candles. Business is doing great lately. At this rate, we'll get rich in no time. Expect me to be back soon."

 

 

"Told you he was your friend." Raven purred after Hongbin left. Hakyeon smiled and scratched her head but didn't answer.

 

He was greatly touched to hear how Hongbin truly saw him as, with or without the charm. He felt a little more at ease, knowing that he had a friend in Hongbin. But his conversation with Hongbin left him thinking about his magic again.

 

When Taekwoon first suggested that his charm was stronger than other enchanters’, he just took it as a way to make himself feel better. After learning about resistance gems from Hongbin, Hakyeon now considered it as a possibility. But then again, his charm never actually affected Taekwoon.

 

Hakyeon suddenly froze.  _Did it?_

 

Raven whimpered as she rubbed her head against Hakyeon’s leg. Hakyeon just stopped walking halfway to his workshop while carrying a heavy box of goods. “Are you okay?”

 

“Y-yeah,” Hakyeon answered and dragged himself to keep walking. He dropped the box on his working table with a loud thud, which worried Raven even more. Hakyeon was never careless with potion ingredients.

 

Hakyeon just sat for a long while just re-thinking things. Taekwoon said his stones were pretty effective. But if Hakyeon’s charm was strong enough to still affect Hongbin, was it possible that he had also affected Taekwoon? Had he been too relaxed around Taekwoon? He believed the gems were effective enough that he almost did not bother concealing his charm when they were alone. What if all those times Taekwoon blushed were because of Hakyeon’s magic? What if the way Taekwoon treated him was only an effect of the charm?

 

Hakyeon felt cold sweat on his temples. Raven purred beside him. When Hakyeon told her what was bothering him, she stared at just him blankly for a whole minute.

 

“Say something,” Hakyeon pleaded. He was desperate for someone to tell him he was wrong.

 

“I don’t know what to say.”

 

“You think it’s possible?”

 

“It’s not impossible. I wanted you to ask Hongbin about the stones exactly because of this. ”

 

Hakyeon growled as he dropped his head on the table and grabbed a handful of his hair.

 

“But I don’t think that’s the case.”

 

Hakyeon raised his head hopefully. “You think?”

 

“First off, they have different kinds of gems. Maybe they also have different limits. Maybe you should ask Taekwoon where he got his. Secondly, just like Hongbin, even without the resistance gems, I think Taekwoon would still be your friend.”

 

Hakyeon straightened up a bit. “Maybe… Yes… I think we’re friends… but…” He bit his lip. Really hard.  _It was stupid. Really very stupid._ “The things that he says… I just… I wonder if it was really him or just what I wanted to hear from him.”

 

Raven looked at him sadly. “Hakyeon…”

 

Hakyeon pulled on his hair harder. His heart was racing and he wanted to cry. He had been scared of all the things that could go wrong from the moment Taekwoon came into his life, and now there's a possibility that those fears had been real all this time.

 

"Hakyeon, you need to calm down," Raven pawed at him. "If you get worked up like this, you won't be able to ask him anything without the charm going berserk.

 

"Can't you ask him for me? I'll leave the house and go somewhere far where my charm won't reach him and you talk to him."

 

"I'll do that only if we don't have any other option left. But you should try to talk to him first. If he shows any sign of of being bewitched, I'll step in immediately and you can leave."

 

It frustrated Hakyeon so much. He growled louder and banged his head lightly against the table a couple of times. "I don't know how to talk to him now. I'm scared, Raven."

 

"Just try to calm down, please."

 

There was no way Hakyeon could calm down. His hands were trembling and he could feel his tears were about to spill. "If..." Even his voice was starting to shake. "If it's true... If he's actually affected by the charm, I have to send him away... Don't I?"

 

"We don't know that yet, Hakyeon-"

 

"But if it is!" Hakyeon's tears started rolling down his face. He clutched his fists to stop his hands from trembling and he heaved heavily. He did not want Taekwoon to leave, but if he was holding Taekwoon captive with his magic, it would be so wrong to make him stay. 

 

"He can't stay here anymore."

 


	3. Chapter 3

Hakyeon had soaked himself at the bath for about an hour to calm himself down. He would have gone to the lake to relax but he was afraid he would come across Taekwoon somewhere. So with new supplies delivered, he just tried to keep himself busy again. Sadly, his worries still lingered and he kept spacing out. 

 

By the time Taekwoon came home, Hakyeon had barely finished half of what he could usually do. There was a knock on his door and Taekwoon called him for dinner, but Hakyeon wasn't sure if he was ready to face him yet.

 

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll just finish something.”

 

Instead of leaving though, Taekwoon entered the workshop and watched him work. Hakyeon's hands slightly trembled as he felt conscious of the eyes watching him. 

 

"So this is what you do, huh?"

 

Taekwoon remembered Hakyeon's very first instruction to him when he first came. He wasn't supposed to touch the potions, but he raised a hand to trail a finger on one of the bottles. Hakyeon didn’t seem to mind this time. The liquid glimmered under his finger and Taekwoon just got more curious. He had seen a fair number of sorcerers and potions, but he had always been intrigued by everything Hakyeon did.

Raven was sitting quietly on a counter, carefully observing both of them, though more focused on Taekwoon, who in turn had his eyes fixed on Hakyeon

 

"What are they for?"

 

"Different things.” Hakyeon answered without looking at Taekwoon. “Mostly healing and energizing potions. Others for better memory, or strength."

 

"People would have thought enchanters would be making love potions."

 

"I can, but that's a horrible thing to do." Hakyeon felt sick because just as he said that, his eyes hovered over the bracelet on Taekwoon's wrist. The thought that ran in his mind was unpleasant. He wanted Taekwoon to stay with him so badly, but even if Taekwoon had no charm resistance, or even if those gems were rendered useless by his magic, Hakyeon did not want to use his charm on him. The fact that it even crossed his mind made him want to vomit.

 

"Do you make a lot of money with these?"

 

"I mostly trade them for other goods, like food and more ingredients. I don't need money because I never go out of the forest and it's not like the bears would take gold coins as payment for sharing their berries with me."

 

Taekwoon chuckled. "That makes sense."

 

"Although occasionally, when I do receive money, I send them to my family. There's a kind merchant who gives me extra for my trade and even runs the errands to deliver money and letters to my family."

 

"Oh?" Taekwoon's expression turned slightly hard as he inched a little towards Hakyeon. "Is it that Hongbin person?" The surprise on Hakyeon's face made Taekwoon more stiff. He glanced at Raven for a second and then turned back to Hakyeon. "I heard you talking to Raven last night. There's apparently a handsome merchant who trades with you."

 

"Ye-yes. That's Hongbin." 

 

"I'd like to meet him. It's been a while since I last saw a handsome face."

 

Hakyeon frowned. "Well, excuse my ugly face." He capped the last bottle and started taking off his working apron. He tensed up when Taekwoon slid behind him and helped him untie it

 

"I think you're more of pretty rather than handsome."

 

"Is that supposed to be some gender-related prejudice?"

 

"No. I didn't mean pretty like a girl. Guys can be pretty too. But I meant beautiful. Like... not just your face, but as a whole. Like a scenery. Something that anyone would just like to look at."

 

The flattery was greatly appreciated, but Hakyeon couldn't help but grow more anxious with every compliment from Taekwoon. He bit his lip and heaved a breath, trying to be as calm as he could be. Raven nodded at him as she stood and walked along the counter towards them. Hakyeon then took a few steps away and turned around to face Taekwoon with a serious expression on his face - one that Taekwoon instantly caught up on.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Are you sure your charm resistance is working?"

 

"Yes. Why?"

 

"So the things you say to me," Hakyeon felt like there was a lump in his throat - words forced out of his mouth in a shaky voice. "You're sure it's not because of the charm?"

 

"N-no," Taekwoon stepped closer, but Hakyeon took a step back, maintaining the distance between them.

 

"How do I know for sure?"

 

Taekwoon blinked at him, confused at the sudden confrontation. "I am pretty sure, but I don't know how to prove it to you? Maybe try to make me do something now, and if I don't do it then you can rest assured?"

 

Hakyeon shook his head and stepped back further. "No, that doesn't sound good to me."

 

"Why not?" Taekwoon stretched out a hand to hold him but then he held back seeing that Hakyeon was was getting more panicked each time he tried to approach.

 

"Because if it works on you, you'd feel horrible."

 

"It's okay," Taekwoon insisted. "Just try it. For your piece of mind."

 

"No, that's-"

 

"If he's already under the charm, it wouldn't make any difference if you try to order him now. But if he's really resistant, then you can calm down," Raven butted in. "There's nothing to lose, right?"

 

Hakyeon threw her a desperate look, begging to be saved, but she was just as stern. 

 

"The effect of the charm leaking is different than me actively trying to control him. That takes more magic and feels way more intrusive to humans." It probably was the only surefire way to know, but Hakyeon was too scared to actually do it.

 

"Hakyeon," Taekwoon called out and waited for Hakyeon to meet his eyes before continuing. "Try doing it. I'm telling you, it's going to be okay. Just trust me."

 

Hakyeon swallowed with difficulty. His left hand unconsciously went up to clutch his chest while he raised his other trembling hand towards Taekwoon. He could feel the magic at the tip of his fingers, at his disposal to command Taekwoon. He could think of all the things that could go wrong like they were flashing images inside his brain and he was getting dizzy, but the way Taekwoon looked at him gave him firm support to stay standing rooted on the floor. 

 

"Leave." His eyes glowed into the same bright yellow color with just a tiny spec of black that Taekwoon saw when they first met. His voice was anything but stable yet the command was loud and firm. "Leave and never return."

 

Hakyeon was struck with horror as he saw Taekwoon's whole face and neck instantly redden. 

 

Taekwoon turned towards the door for a moment. He could feel a strange heat in his body as Hakyeon urged him to leave. Raven growled and jumped off the counter, ready to chase him, but  then he turned back to Hakyeon.

 

"I would leave if you really want me to, but..." He took a step towards Hakyeon. This time Hakyeon was too shocked to move away, so Taekwoon continued walking towards him. He reached out a hand and waited for Hakyeon to take it. "I'd like to stay if you'd let me."

 

Hakyeon's whole body trembled as he took Taekwoon's hand. He expelled the breath he had been holding. Before Taekwoon could pull him close, his knees suddenly felt so weak and he found himself sliding to sit on the floor. Taekwoon clutched his hand and knelt beside him.

 

 Raven nudged his leg with her head as she purred. "Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah." Hakyeon turned his head to look at Taekwoon. His were eyes now back to their hazel brown color and brimming with unshed tears but his lips quirking up with a smile. Seconds later, he was cracking up with a tearful laughter.

 

"Okay. You're scaring me now," Taekwoon watched him worriedly, still holding his hand.

 

"I'm sorry," Hakyeon heaved. "I'm just so relieved. I thought you were really going to leave. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if it turned out I've unintentionally put you under the charm this whole time." He wiped the corner of his eyes with his free hand. There was a heavy weight that was suddenly lifted off his chest and now he could breathe.

 

Taekwoon scratched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head as he stared at Hakyeon. The hand he was holding still felt ice cold and sweaty, but Hakyeon's face had obviously been rid of the stress and tension that was present there just a moment ago. "I really don't understand why you got so worried about that." He stood up and carefully pulled Hakyeon with him. "Can you stand?" It was like a reverse dejavu of the first time they met, except that Taekwoon did not back away once he was sure Hakyeon was standing stably in front of him. Instead, he squeezed Hakyeon's hand lightly and kept holding on to it while they talked.

 

"Right?" Hakyeon laughed at himself. "I'm sorry. It's just that Hongbin told me his resistance gem gets overpowered by my magic, so I was worried if that happened to you too. I was dancing when we first met, after all."

 

"Really?" Taekwoon looked surprised. "I know it is possible, but most merchants have really effective gems too. I guess your magic is really that powerful. Wow..." He was very impressed, but he noticed Hakyeon just got more worried about it.

 

"Even so... Even if I was just bewitched or something and I came here against my will, don't you think I've had plenty of chances to run away if I wanted to? I've been leaving the house everyday and I have even reached the southern end of the forest, but I still come back here on my own. Every single day."

 

Hakyeon just silently gaped at him, and then pouted. Taekwoon couldn't help but laugh. "You didn't even think about that, did you?"

 

"No," Hakyeon let out a forced laugh. "I kind of feel stupid, but I could only think of how you easily get flustered and says things -- " He bit his lip when he caught on what he was about to say.  _Things that make my heart flutter. Things that I want to hear._

 

"Anyway," He knew Taekwoon was waiting for him to finish his sentence, but Hakyeon chose not to. He wasn't ready to say it just yet. "You don't feel anything strange, do you? You're totally resistant? You turned really red earlier, I was worried."

 

"Ahh, that..." Taekwoon slowly, unconsciously let go of Hakyeon's hand. A faint tinge of pink was creeping up his face again, but it was what Hakyeon recognized as his normal embarrassed reaction. "I..." He paused, knowing Hakyeon would probably freak out about it. "Promise to stay calm?"

 

It did not sound good to Hakyeon. The fact that Taekwoon wanted him to be calm meant that it was something he would not actually be calm about. His fingers felt jittery, so he picked Raven up from the floor and hugged her. She squirmed in his arms, but then settled when Hakyeon started stroking her fur in between his fingers.

 

"Did something... happen?" Hakyeon asked nervously.

 

"I... kind of felt it. The charm..."

 

"Ohmygod," Hakyeon gasped. "Ohmygod, Taekwoon, I am so sorry! I didn't-"

 

"I told you to stay calm!" But Taekwoon was just as embarrassed and he was covering half of his face with his huge hand. "Don't worry about it."

 

Hakyeon lifted Raven higher, so he could hide his face behind her. "I'm so sorry. I really am!"

 

"Stop apologizing. I already told you it's okay. It's not as horrible as you said it is."

 

"It's not?" He peeked through the white fur and accidentally met Taekwoon's eyes, making them both more flustered.

 

"It's not. I wouldn't call it horrible at all." Taekwoon turned to his side and started walking towards the door. "Anyway, dinner is waiting. Let's eat."

 

"He was avoiding my eyes, wasn't he?" Hakyeon shook Raven in his arms as soon as Taekwoon was out of earshot. "Omygod, I knew it was a bad idea."

 

"What exactly was he supposed to feel that got you both beet red? When you tried it on me, I just felt mind blank without a memory of what you made me do."

 

"Humans don't just forget things. They are aware of what they are doing against their will. And... I was told they usually feel like the enchanter is directly touching them - Every inch of their body, including parts that shouldn't be touched. Me. Touching him. All of him. Taekwoon doesn't even like to be touched!"

 

"Well, he said it wasn't horrible and he did say it's okay with him if you touch him, didn't he? Can't you just leave it at that? I feel like we have other things we should be asking right now."

 

"You ask him then! You're always so calm and sassy and smart, aren't you?"

 

"I would, but I know you don't want me to get all his attention, do you? He finds me cute enough when I'm not talking." Raven jumped off from his arms and walked out.

 

"Hey!" Hakyeon ran after her and nudged her lightly with his foot. He was going to go off on her but Taekwoon suddenly reappeared by the door to call them again for dinner.

 

"Hurry up, I'm hungry." He picked Raven up and carried her all the way to the dining table.

 

Dinner started out quiet. Taekwoon was still being shy and was avoiding eye contact while Hakyeon was just not sure where to begin. So Raven took it upon herself to start the conversation.

 

"Where did you get that bracelet?"

 

Taekwoon's face lit up a little as soon as he heard the cat talk.  "It's my mother's. My father gave it to her for protection and then she gave it to me when I left my town." He answered as he stretched out a hand to pat her head. Even after living with them for about two weeks, he rarely heard Raven speak and it always fascinated him to hear her voice. 

 

Hakyeon frowned at her but she just gave him an smug look as Taekwoon continued petting her.  _You do it then._   

 

"Is it mined too? Hongbin's gem looks more like a ruby." Hakyeon finally started talking, purposely ignoring Raven's gloating smirk. Damn he didn't know a cat could smirk like that.  

 

Taekwoon shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on Raven as he talked. "As far as I know, these used to be normal gems. They got it cast with some protective magic." Taekwoon opened his mouth to say more, but there was so much hesitation on his face and he ended up just waiting to be asked more questions.

 

"You said it's very effective. Is it the first time you got affected by the charm?" 

 

"Ye-yeah, it is. There were some enchanters who tried to use their charm on me before but it didn't work. I never felt the leak the whole time I was staying here either." He let out a subtle sigh. "Truthfully, I -"

 

"How did it feel exactly?"

 

"Raven!" Hakyeon glared at her. Taekwoon coughed slightly, probably trying not to choke on his food. 

 

"What? I'm curious. It might be different from what you think he felt."

 

Taekwoon glanced at Hakyeon, but then quickly turned his gaze back to his plate. "When I was still hunting, I sometimes pretended to be enthralled to get close to my target. I learned how it's supposed to feel by asking other people how it was for them. They also said it was horrible and all that."

 

"And? You said it wasn't horrible?" Raven pried on.

 

"It's... not..." The blush was back on his face. He glanced at Hakyeon again, but this time he did a double take because he saw that Hakyeon looked really worried. So he took a deep breath and held his gaze, staring directly into Hakyeon's eyes. "Really, don't worry about it. I don't know if it's because I had resistance or maybe because I was the one who told you to do it in the first place. My limbs started moving on their own and I was taken by surprise. But after getting over the shock, I regained control of myself."

 

"I'm really sorry."

 

"You apologize too much. It's really unnecessary."

 

"Funny, that also what Hongbin said." Raven sat coyly as she stared back and forth Hakyeon and Taekwoon. She didn't fail to notice how Taekwoon squinted upon hearing Hongbin's name.

 

"I'm really curious about this Hongbin person."

 

Hakyeon frowned, "Sorry, but the handsome face won't be back for a while."

 

"Oh? Didn't he say he'd be back soon?" Raven teased.

 

"He just came here today, so he won't be back so soon!" Hakyeon snapped at her. "And if you're done with dinner, get out already. I'll clean up here."

 

Taekwoon reached out and lifted the cat from the table, ruffling the fur on her head. "What are you suddenly getting so snappy for?"

 

"Right? It's not like I did anything bad?" She reveled in Taekwoon's touch as he talked to her like a baby.

 

"You didn't! What could you possibly do wrong?"

 

Hakyeon gaped at the pretense of innocence. Cats were indeed as sly as people said they were, and Raven was no exception. Taekwoon was just as frustrating. Why did he have to like her so much? If he didn't know them, he would have thought she was Taekwoon's cat instead of his. He hissed and sulked and shooed them out of the dining table. 

 

He later found them both huddled together sleeping on the couch. He was still frustrated and maybe a tad bit jealous, but he also found the sight endearing. At the back of his head, he thought it looked like Taekwoon really belonged there with them. But he shook his head, along with his wishful thoughts. Taekwoon might not be affected by his charm, and he was oh so relieved about it, but it didn't mean that Taekwoon would actually want to stay with them for too long. There was still that worry that once Taekwoon recovered his lost belongings, he would pack up and leave.

 

  _I'd like to stay if you'd let me._

Hakyeon smiled to himself as he remembered Taekwoon's words. He wished he meant it the way he wanted them to be. He also wished he had to guts to actually talk to Taekwoon aboout it, but it has only been two weeks since they met and Hakyeon felt like it would be too much for both of them. It could be that he was just being shallow about it. He might just be too thrilled with the thought of having human company, and any feeling he thought he was having was just out of prolonged loneliness from years of living alone.

 

If only Taekwoon would stay with him longer, then he would know for sure.

 

If only...

 

 ~

 

"Should I stay in for today?" Taekwoon suddenly said during breakfast one morning.

 

"I don't mind." Of course he didn't. Hakyeon wanted him to stop searching for the damn satchel all together. "But why? Did you give up on it?"

 

"Close." Taekwoon answered honestly. "I've found the bag, but everything inside it was gone. At this point, I barely have hopes of recovering everything."

 

"I'm... sorry?"

 

Taekwoon shrugged. 

 

"So... are you leaving without it?" Hakyeon couldn't stop his brows from furrowing.

 

"Maybe... You know, I realized I've been a burden to you for a few weeks now."

 

 "No! You're not a burden at all!" Hakyeon felt his heart drop, his chest suddenly hollow, and yet he could feel a loud beating somewhere in there, like there was someone screaming inside him to make Taekwoon stay. "I-- I like having you here! It's not troublesome or anything!"

 

"But I eat your food and sleep in your room, and I've never done anything to help you."

 

"You've been cooking for me!"

 

"So I was thinking if I could stay a bit longer and work for you. To repay you for your kindness."

 

"It's fine, really. You don't have to--" Hakyeon paused. "Wait, what do you mean work for me?"

 

"I don't know. I'll keep cooking. I'll clean the house, wash the linens. I don't have magic so I probably can't help you with your work, but I can run errands for you. I'll do anything."

 

Hakyeon blinked a couple of times, letting the words sink in. He then bit back a smile. Everything suddenly felt like they were in their rightful place and he couldn't get any happier.

 

"Okay."

 

"Okay?"

 

"Yes. Okay. You can stay."

 

Taekwoon was half grinning, although he still looked unsure.

 

"I need an extra hand with the candles now that there's high demand. Oh and you can go face the merchants when they come. They might be more friendly with you. They hate me, you see." There was so much Taekwoon could do that frankly, Hakyeon could do on his own, but he kept rambling anyway. He wanted to give more reasons for Taekwoon to stay.

 

"You're going to make him regret offering to help," Raven interjected. "He'll run away if you dump all the work on him."

 

"It's okay,"  Taekwoon just chuckled and reached out to scratch her chin.  It had become automatic for him to reach for Raven each time she spoke in front of him, which by now, had become quite often. Hakyeon even accused her of doing it on purpose to get in to his nerves. "I don't mind. I can stay as long as I'm needed."

 

"Really?" The delight on Hakyeon's face was unconcealed.

 

"It's the least I could do to pay you back."

 

"You really don't need to, but I'd greatly appreciate it."

 

The breakfast turned more cheerful after that. The day just got brighter for Hakyeon. He didn't care how many times Raven squinted at him.

 

-=-o0o=-

 

Taekwoon turned out to be a very capable helper, especially when dealing with the merchants. As predicted, they were more at ease facing a normal human rather than dealing with an enchanter. Hakyeon did not even bother stepping out whenever the merchants came. He just let Taekwoon talk to them and do the work.

 

He also taught Taekwoon to mold the candles before he could cast his magic on it. And sometimes, rare times when he ran out of ingredients for his potions, Taekwoon would run to the nearest town to buy whatever get needed.

 

When they weren't busy with work, they would set out early in a half-hearted attempt to look for Taekwoon's things. Raven still teased Hakyeon they were basically just going on dates, but Hakyeon wasn't even denying it anymore.

 

They also got more comfortable with each other. Taekwoon started talking more about himself, and Hakyeon found himself naturally clinging on to him at random times - the way he always wanted to do with a friend. Sometimes, Taekwoon would get stiff, and Hakyeon would casually let go to avoid making things uncomfortable, but more often that not, Taekwoon either smiled or barely reacted to his touch. Other times, it was Taekwoon who initiated the skinship, casually throwing an arm around Hakyeon's shoulder, or hitting his arm when Hakyeon joked around or snapped at Raven.

 

He felt like he was getting his hopes too high up, but at least for the moment, Taekwoon seemed like he did not have any plans of leaving, and Hakyeon was just happy with that. 

 

Then the day when Taekwoon could finally meet Hongbin came. And Hakyeon just couldn't stay in his workshop.

 

"I thought you didn't want to face them? Just go back to work. I can handle this," Taekwoon prodded him inside, but Hakyeon insisted on waiting at the porch with him.

 

"It's fine if it's Hongbin. He's my friend. I can face him. You go inside."

 

They both stared - more like frowned - at each other, standing their ground and not moving a muscle.

 

"If I were Hongbin, I'd really be flattered you guys are fighting over me." Raven rolled her eyes as she sat on the ledge.

 

"We fight over you anyway," Hakyeon whined at her. "You guys always team up against me. Sometimes, I wonder if you're not actually father and child."

 

Hakyeon regretted the remark when he saw the glint on her pitch black eyes. He just opened an opportunity for her to tease him more. No, Hakyeon wouldn't let her.

 

"Well, you adopted me. So if you guys get-"

 

"Okay, hush!" Hakyeon said in panic. "I get it. You like him more than me now. Shut up."

 

Taekwoon chuckled. "What? You're jealous?"

 

"The question is, who is he jealous o-"

 

"Hongbin!" Hakyeon couldn't have been more thankful for the timing. He rushed out the porch, carrying one of his trading boxes with him.

 

Taekwoon stood back and watched the wagon approach.

 

"Hey," Hongbin greeted, his dimpled smile just as bright as ever.

 

"Hey yourself," Hakyeon smiled back. Usually, he would have stayed behind the ledge and keep his distance from the merchants, but he didn't want Hongbin to go any closer to Taekwoon, so he wanted to keep the transaction out of the porch.

 

Except that it was Taekwoon who approached them and greeted Hongbin in a way Hakyeon could never have imagined.

 

"Kong?" He carried Hakyeon's other trading box and set it down on the ground beside the wagon. "Kong! It's really you!"

 

"Woah, Jung Taekwoon! What are you doing here?" Hongbin jumped off the wagon and grabbed Taekwoon's hand, pulling him into what Hakyeon would call as  the weird fraternal semi-hug where they bump on each other and slap their arms instead of actually huggging. He had seen it done by grown men when he was little, but he never really understood the point of it. ("If they want to hug, why don't they just hug?") That moment though, Hakyeon was grateful they did not actually embrace each other in front of him.

 

"When they said there was a handsome merchant coming, I didn't think it was you!"

 

Raven mewled as she watched Hakyeon sulk in the background, kind of forgotten while old acquaintances greeted each other. Taekwoon who was often quiet and reserved, was suddenly talking loudly and not even bothered by the skinship with Hongbin.

 

"Handsome what? Me?" Hongbin scratched his head in as he glanced at Hakyeon shyly.

 

And then Taekwoon grew alarmed by the blush on Hongbin's face. He followed his gaze and looked at Hakyeon, who was just watching them with a pout on his face.

 

"Aren't you guys going to tell me how you know each other?" 

 

"Ahh, I met him a few years back when I was peddling down south," Hongbin answered, walking to the back of his wagon to get Hakyeon's trade. "He was working for another sorcerer that I used to trade with."

 

Hakyeon quirked a brow. "You worked for another sorcerer?"

 

"Yeah," it was Hongbin who kept answering brightly, while Taekwoon suddenly looked a little uncomfortable. "But they both suddenly disappeared and I haven't heard anything about them since. I never would have thought I'll see you here."

 

"And what of the sorcerer?" Hakyeon asked curiously.

 

"We just parted ways." Taekwoon shrugged nonchalantly, stepping forward to accept the goods from Hongbin take them back to the porch.

 

Hongbin took the second box and followed him. "Seriously though, what are you doing here?"

 

"My feet just brought me here." Taekwoon answered. "How have you been?"

 

"Pretty good," Hongbin said, putting his box down beside where Taekwoon left the other one. He glanced at Hakyeon again over his shoulder before turning back to Taekwoon. Their conversations started to become more like whispers as Taekwoon slipped back to his normal quiet voice. 

 

Hakyeon couldn't hear them anymore, which just made him sulk even more. He stomped his way in between them and grumpily picked up one box, just saying a quick goodbye to Hongbin before going inside the house. Not even Raven followed him, so he just got more frustrated. Other than Taekwoon and Hongbin being old acquaintances, he was also anxious about Taekwoon's past. He thought Taekwoon had opened up to him more at this point, but there was apparently still a lot that he didn't know.

 

_We just parted ways._

 

Would he part ways with Hakyeon too?

 

It took several minutes before Taekwoon appeared at the door of his workshop with the second box.

 

"Hey..."

 

Hakyeon didn't answer.

 

"I've kept the food at the kitchen cupboard," Taekwoon put the half-empty box down in front of Hakyeon, who still wouldn't look at him. "Kong said he'll be back in two days."

 

Hakyeon put down his potion bottle and heaved a sigh. He tried (and failed) to finally look at Taekwoon without looking upset. "Why do you call him Kong?"

 

Surprised by the question, Taekwoon made an expression that Hakyeon could not quite describe, like he was confused but upset as well. "It's just a nickname. The sorcerer I used to live with called him that way, I really thought that was his name."

 

"He knew your whole name though."

 

"Because that's how I was introduced to him."

_Who is this sorcerer? Why did you live with him? For how long? Why did you part ways with him?_

 

Hakyeon wanted to ask so many questions but he was afraid to hear the answers.  A part of him also wondered if he had any right to demand for answers.

 

"So you were friends with him, huh?" Hakyeon forced a smile. "Well, I'm glad. You get along better with the other merchants as well."

 

"So you're letting me handle the trade with him too?"

 

"It's not like I'd stop you from meeting your friend." Hakyeon sighed as he resumed transferring a purple tinted liquid from one bottle to another and mixing it with the red one. He didn't even throw Taekwoon a glance after that, and it felt too awkward for the both of them. "I'm not doing candles today. You can go rest or walk around if you want to."

 

Taekwoon bit his lip. He knew Hakyeon was upset about something but he wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to do. So in the end, he just left the workshop and sat by the porch.

 

Raven came in to watch Hakyeon work some time after.

 

"Traitor." Hakyeon growled at her.

 

"What did I do?!" 

 

Hakyeon really hated that faked naivety. "What took you so long to come here?! You really like Jung Taekwoon more than me now?"

 

"If I followed you right away, you wouldn't have a spy to know what Taekwoon and Hongbin talked about!"

 

Hakyeon paused. "You... listened to them?"

 

"Uh-huh."

 

Hakyeon sat on the table beside her and scratched behind her ear. "You did that? For me?"

 

"Of course. I may like Taekwoon, but I am a loyal cat. You are still my master." But then she pretended to be angry and wouldn't face Hakyeon. "But since you don't even trust me and called me a traitor, I don't see why I'll tell you what I heard."

 

Hakyeon bit his lip. "Don't be like that. Hey~" He stroke her fur, using just a tiny bit of magic to make his hand feel more pleasant on her back. But just when she smiled smugly and opened her mouth to speak, Hakyeon suddenly stood up. "No wait. That's wrong. I shouldn't be sending you to eavesdrop on them. That's just really wrong."

 

"You sure you don't want to know?"

 

Hakyeon bit his lip. He wanted to know. So badly. But if didn't feel right to him. "Don't tell me."

 

Raven snorted. "It's not like they talked about anything important, but sure. Whatever suits you." She lay on her stomach and rested while Hakyeon went back to work. "Don't you think you should be asking about that sorcerer though?"

 

Hakyeon sighed again - he couldn't remember how many times he's sighed that day anymore. "I'm not sure I can handle the answers."

 

"Wow, you've completely fallen over him, haven't you?"

 

"You think?"

 

"I don't think so. I know so." Raven rolled her eyes. "Hakyeon, he's a former hunter. He lived with a sorcerer and they both just disappeared for an unknown reason, and now he's living with you. I'm not saying Taekwoon is out to kill you, because I like him and trust him enough as well, but if I were you, I would be asking some questions. You have every right to ask because he's living under your roof."

 

"You're probably right, but..."

 

"I AM right. You're too preoccupied by your jealousy of Hongbin and a possible ex-lover to care about your current situation."

 

"But you said you trust Taekwoon too," Hakyeon pouted. "I don't feel like I'm in danger at all. If it's about his past, I wish he would tell me on his own terms."

 

"God, you're hopelessly in love."

 

Hearing it said out loud made Hakyeon's heart beat faster. His face felt all warm and he knew he was probably blushing hard, but Raven did not even comment on it.

 

Hakyeon slumped against the table and buried his face onto his arms. There was no denying it now.

 

"I guess I am."

 

-=o0o=-

 

Their setup continued for another few weeks without much happening. It was mostly a bliss for Hakyeon. They were living the domestic life he had always dreamed of, although he never really imagined it to be with a guy like Taekwoon. He still didn't ask about Taekwoon's past, trusting that Taekwoon would eventually open up to him when he's ready, the same way he eventually warmed up and became more comfortable with Hakyeon.

 

He did notice some things that occasionally bothered him. Like the way Taekwoon would sometimes leave the house to walk around the forest alone and then come back in the evening just before dinner. Or how he spent too much time talking to the merchants. It was not strange per se, but he often felt like Taekwoon did not want him anywhere near the porch whenever they came, except for Hongbin, whom Hakyeon often greeted for a bit before retreating back into his house. Taekwoon usually took longer to speak with Hongbin before bringing the goods in. Hakyeon found it unnecessarily long, because Hongbin never really stayed for more than ten minutes whenever he dropped by, but ever since Taekwoon took over the trade, they would often talk for at least half an hour. 

 

Sometimes, Hakyeon would secretly try to watch them from his bedroom window on the upper floor. They often sat under the roofed veranda and out of Hakyeon's view, but if he was lucky, he'd get a glimpse of them sitting on the ledge board. He knew he was bordering creepy, but he justified himself by thinking he could have done worse by eavesdropping on them. There was no harm in watching them smile at each other from a distance.

 

"Why don't you just sit with them and talk?" Raven asked him one time.  

 

Hakyeon sighed. "I don't want to get in the way." He stared back out the window, watching Taekwoon who was leaning comfortably against the ledge. "If I go down there and just hear stories about their past, I'll get jealous, and Hongbin might get affected by the charm."

 

Without him nearby, their faces looked a lot more relaxed, their smiles still the same sweet smile they often had, sans the blush on their faces, especially on Hongbin's. Hakyeon had learned to set aside his jealousy over their friendship because he did not want to isolate Taekwoon like he isolated himself. Yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Hongbin and Taekwoon had a deeper, more genuine relationship than he ever had with either of them. 

 

"But you think of them as your friends, too, don't you? Both of them." Raven sighed at him. "How about you try making new memories with them. Maybe they wouldn't talk much about the past then."

 

"I'd rather not risk it."

 

Raven whimpered. "You know, sometimes, I think you didn't have friends not because people were scared of you, but because you were scared of yourself."

 

Hakyeon clenched his fists. There were hot tears prickling at the corners of his eyes but he blinked them back and breathed deeply.  He loved every bit of himself, but indeed, Raven was right. He was scared of his own magic and he always felt like other people would not love him the same because of it. He was glad to have Hongbin and Taekwoon as friends who never expressed any hint of fear towards him, but he did not trust himself to be in control of his emotions.

 

Without answering Raven, he stood up and just went down to his workshop to start making new candle mold designs. He stared at all his equipment and finished products as he sat on his working chair. There were all kinds of potions and all shapes of candles. The merchants were getting more orders from him because word about his goods had spread further than just the neighboring towns.  Hakyeon found himself wondering if those people who used his potions and candles would ever think of meeting him, or being friends with him after they benefited from his magic. 

 

 _Probably not,_  he thought bitterly.

 

"Hey," Taekwoon entered the workshop a couple of minutes later. At this point, he was way past the point of knocking on doors. He was carrying the trade anyway, so he couldn't have knocked if he wanted to.

 

"How's Hongbin?"

 

Taekwoon neatly set the box down on the supply table and then leaned against it as he faced Hakyeon. "You saw him earlier."

 

"Yeah, but I didn't get to ask." He could feel Taekwoon staring heavily at him, like he wanted to say something, but was holding back.

 

"Let's have tea, some time," was his curt reply.

 

"You want to have tea?" Hakyeon raised his head and looked at him. "There are tea leaves at the cupboard--"

 

"No, I mean with Hongbin."

 

Hakyeon stared at him. It was basically the same thing Raven told him, but Taekwoon's words were firm, his eyes dark, lips tight, and gaze steady as he stared back at Hakyeon. It wasn't a suggestion, nor an invitation. It was like an order that Hakyeon was not allowed to refuse.

_Just sit with them and talk. Make new memories._

 

"Hongbin... He's..."

 

"He's asking about you too," Taekwoon cut him off. "It's annoying, having to answer on your behalf."

 

"He is?" Hakyeon perked up. "What's he asking about?"

 

Taekwoon just shrugged. "If you want to know, you talk to him directly. I'm not a messenger for some star-crossed lovers."

 

Hakyeon pouted at the sudden coldness and bit back a snide remark about the hint of jealousy on Taekwoon's tone.

 

"Anyway, next time he visits, let's have tea. Or let's invite him inside for a meal. Don't just show your face and then hide inside. He won't admit it but he's upset that you don't talk to him anymore, even though you said you're friends. Don't worry about the charm."

 

Hakyeon felt deeply moved once again. Hongbin was one of his first friends and he felt bad about how he had been acting because of his jealousy. 

 

"That sounds nice," Hakyeon pursed a smile. "Yeah, let's do that."

 

It wasn't like his fears and insecurities would just disappear with a word from Taekwoon, but at least he felt like he had a solid ground to stand on. If anything were to happen, he knew Taekwoon would be there to help him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update. >_<  
> I kinda got into a slump and I felt like I couldn't do anything worth publisbing...  
> And then I also got busy with my trip and stuff.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope to finish tgis story soon.


	4. Chapter 4

As luck would have it, the day they planned to have Hongbin over for lunch turned out to be quite eventful.

 

Now that Hakyeon was making more goods, they decided to accept some money as payments so Taekwoon would be able to buy things that they don't usually get from trading. In a way, Hakyeon was also paying him salary for helping him at work.

 

The day before Hongbin was bound to pass by Hakyeon's forest, Taekwoon went to the nearest town to buy himself some clothes and shoes, as well as other food they could cook for lunch with Hongbin. Hakyeon just roamed the forest and then sat by the lake the whole afternoon. He was sitting next to the boulder Taekwoon fell from when they first met, his legs hang on the side so that his calves were dipped into the water. Hakyeon giggled as thought back to how Taekwoon exaggerated about his snake bite and crushed bones. But then he also remembered that Taekwoon saw him dancing that day.

 

The promise of him dancing for Taekwoon was put on the back burner after the merchants requested to increase their trade and they got busy. But now that Hakyeon remembered, he suddenly felt nervous about it. He wondered if Taekwoon had completely forgotten about it, or if he was even still interested.

 

Hakyeon sighed. Just as he was about to stand up, he noticed the beautiful bell-shaped flowers growing at the nook under the shade of the boulder. He smiled at the pretty color and ran a finger under the stem. It took a while before he realized what the plant was after seeing the shiny black berries growing alongside the petals.

 

"Hakyeon," Taekwoon suddenly whispered behind his ear.

 

Hakyeon jolted in shock and turned his head, suddenly coming face to face with Taekwoon.

 

Close.

 

Too close.

 

He could feel Taekwoon's breath on his face as they just stared wide-eyed at each other. Hakyeon gulped. His heart was beating too fast and he thought he stopped breathing for half a minute.

 

Taekwoon was still unmoving. Times like this, Hakyeon found him a little hard to read. Was he just intending to scare Hakyeon as a joke or did he get just as shocked and as flustered as Hakyeon was? Either way, Hakyeon just sighed and forced a chuckle  as he finally got the presence of mind to lean back and get some space to breathe.

 

"You surprised m- Oww!" He yelped when he felt a bit of pain on his finger. He had leaned too hard on his right hand without realizing he was anchoring himself on the bush he was previously admiring. The plant had no thorns, but there was a sharp-edged stem protruding exactly where Hakyeon leaned on.

 

Hakyeon frowned as he inspected his hand. It was just a tiny cut, but there was a spec of blood coming out of his finger.

 

 "Did you get hurt?" Taekwoon finally moved and grabbed Hakyeon's wounded hand. "I'm sorry..."

 

"It's fine, don't wor--ry..."

 

Hakyeon found his voice fading as he watched his bleeding finger slowly being raised towards Taekwoon's mouth. For a moment, he couldn't think of anything but how pretty Taekwoon's lips were. But then he snapped back to himself and violently pulled his hand out of Taekwoon's grasp.

 

There was a faint blush on his cheeks but he felt bad when he saw the sunken expression on Taekwoon's face. "I... Taekwoon, That's..."

 

"I didn't mean to..."

 

"No, Taekwoon! It's not that," Hakyeon explained. "It's nightshade."

 

"What?"

 

Hakyeon pointed towards the bell-shaped flowers. "It's a deadly nightshade. They're poisonous from root to fruit. I don't want you to ingest any of it."

 

"Oh," Taekwoon perked up a little, a small smile forming on his lips. But then he saw Hakyeon's finger, the blood starting to clot.  "What about you though? What do we do? Would you be okay?"

 

"It's fine." Hakyeon smiled. He swished his fingers in the air and the wound instantly disappeared. "That's what magic is for."

 

"Right." Taekwoon pursed his small pouty lips again, and Hakyeon mentally cursed himself because he now couldn't stop thinking about how lovely those lips were. Not that he never noticed before, but now that he was hyper aware of his feelings for Taekwoon, they just suddenly became a hundred times more enticing.

 

"Were you trying to eat those? That day we met? You were lucky that snake stopped you from eating it. This plant can kill you."

 

"Ahh," Taekwoon just stared at the plant. "I guess," he murmured to himself and then turned on his heel and waited for Hakyeon to catch up to him. "Let's go home."

 

Hakyeon smiled, though a bit confused by Taekwoon's response. Home. With Taekwoon. "Yeah. Let's go home." He slipped his hand around Taekwoon's arm and clung onto him as the walked. Whether Taekwoon liked it or not, he didn't say anything, so Hakyeon just chirped happily all the way back.

 

Taekwoon cooked dinner as usual, and then went to sleep early, tired from his daytrip to the town. Hakyeon, on the other hand, had extra energy to spare and he decided to work on some potions. He later realized that the amount of Taekwoon's belongings had been increasing, the longer he stayed, so he decided to rearrange his shelves and boxes to make more room for his "tenant-slash-employee". (Raven rolled her eyes at the term. "Just go ahead and say he's the love of your life.")

 

The next day though, Hakyeon felt like all the happiness in his life had been zapped out of him. His throat felt dry, his eyelids too heavy, and his whole body ached. He guessed it was because of the late-night cleaning and rearranging he did in his workshop. 

 

"Hakyeon," Taekwoon gently tapped his shoulder. "It's time for breakfast."

 

"I'm not really hungry." Hakyeon just squirmed, not even opening his eyes and coiling further under his blanket. "Let me sleep in for a little bit more."

 

Taekwoon hissed and hit his arm lightly. "I told you, you shouldn't have stayed up late last night. Kong is coming today."

 

Hakyeon barely groaned. He was excited about getting to spend more time with both Hongbin and Taekwoon, but his bed was clinging on to him.

 

"Wake me up if you need any help with lunch."

 

Taekwoon sighed and complained a little more but he did let Hakyeon sleep in. He did not even come back to wake Hakyeon up the whole morning.

 

It was high noon when Hakyeon opened his eyes again, but he wasn't feeling any better. In fact, he felt worse. He shut his eyes again and heaved. His whole body, from the roots of his hair down to the tips of his toes, felt like it was burning. He was sweating so much that his pillow was a little soaked and he had kicked his blanket off the bed.

 

It was Raven who came in to wake him up and tell him that Hongbin's wagon was approaching their house and he needed to get up.

 

"Are you okay?" Raven asked, noting the large beads of sweat on Hakyeon's forehead and neck.

 

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Hakyeon breathed out. He lay on the bed for a couple more seconds before pushing himself to sit up. Eyes still shut as he brushed a hand through his hair, Hakyeon felt like his world was spinning. His fringe fell on his face again after his hand dropped to grip the bedsheets for support to keep himself sitting. He opened his eyes, head hanging low  and gaze fixed on the floor, hoping to feel a little more steady, but all he felt were dizzy spells.

 

"Hakyeon?" Raven walked towards him and peeked at his face. "Omygod Hakyeon! Your eyes... Are you sick?"

 

"Ssshhh," Hakyeon hissed. "I'm okay. Just... don't squeal at me. My head is pounding." He felt the throbbing pain even as he heard his own voice.

 

Raven jumped onto the bed and nuzzled her head against Hakyeon's torso. "Lie back down and rest. I'll tell Taekwoon you're sick and can't meet Hongbin today."

 

"No," Hakyeon whimpered. "I can't. They'll think I'm making up excuses. Hongbin will feel bad again." He stood up - his hand going up to grip on his hair tightly as if clutching his head would make the dizzy spells go away. It didn't. He wobbled as soon as he felt his own weight on his feet, but he somehow managed to reach the door and hold on to the knob for support.

 

Raven leaped to follow him, trying to block every step Hakyeon took, but it just made him more annoyed. "Hakyeon, I don't think you should meet Hongbin today. Just stay here. I'll call Taekwoon, please just go back to bed!" 

 

"Shut up, Raven!" Hakyeon snapped, his voice louder and angrier than he intended. His head felt like it was being hammered and any sound he heard just made it worse. "Shut up and stay still. Don't get in my way, otherwise I'll step on you!"

 

Raven stood still, not uttering a single sound. Hakyeon barely paid attention though. He just turned the knob and walked downstairs to the living room. He gripped the staircase ledge as if his life depended on it. It probably did, since he felt like he would tumble down and just hit his head on the floor if he had nothing to hold onto. He wasn't even sure what he was trying to do. Normally, he would have gone to the bathroom to at least wash up, but his mind was so clouded and he just let his limbs move on their own.

 

By the time he reached the bottom step of the staircase, he could see Taekwoon and Hongbin standing by the front door. They didn't notice him come, and Hakyeon's throat felt too sore for him to make a sound. He was starting to have double vision so he squinted, trying to focus his eyes on Taekwoon's broad back. From where he stood, it looked like the other two were standing too close to each other. Were they whispering? Or were they kissing? Hakyeon wasn't so sure. He just knew he could see Hongbin's hand on Taekwoon's waist. He felt the heat on his face rise up even more.

 

And then Taekwoon was gone from his sight. Next thing he knew, Hongbin was making his way towards him. Hakyeon also took a step from the staircase, tumbling forward in an attempt to grab on to Hongbin. But before Hongbin reached him, his vision completely blacked out. 

 

He blinked. He was sure his eyes were open, but all he could see was darkness.

 

There was a faint sound of crystals shattering, and then he could hear someone yelling. There was a hand holding him by the waist, and another wrapped around his back, pressing him close to whatever, whomever it was in front of him. Hakyeon shut his eyes tightly and huffed. There were soft kisses pressed against his forehead while he blindly grasped the fabric within his reach.He could hear Taekwoon's voice but he couldn't make out what he was saying.

 

It wasn't until he felt huge hands grab him by the arm and violently pulled him back that Hakyeon finally opened his eyes and regained his senses. He yelped as he fell on the floor on his butt.

 

And he blinked. Once. Twice. Until his vision has cleared and he could see long slender legs standing in front of him. He looked up to meet the person's face and found Taekwoon staring down at him.

 

"Taekwoon..." Hakyeon whimpered, not really sure what to make of the situation. But instead of responding, Taekwoon quickly turned around and ran towards... Hongbin, who was also sitting on the floor, clutching his head.

 

"Omygod," Hakyeon gasped. "Omygod, omygod!" He slapped his hands onto his mouth as soon as he realized what just happened. He had taken full control of Hongbin while he was in a haze.

 

Taekwoon crouched beside Hongbin and wrapped an arm around the latter, asking him if he could stand. He was whispering things to Hongbin's ear, and Hakyeon could only sit there,  frozen - shocked and horrified of what he just did. The throbbing pain in his head was subsiding but his face was burning even more. 

 

When Taekwoon turned his head to look at him again, Hakyeon had hot tears rolling down his cheeks. Every muscle in his body was shaking and he was terrified - of himself. Hongbin still couldn't raise his head and Taekwoon was just staring at him sharply.

 

For the first time in his life, Hakyeon was scared shitless of his own magic. Taekwoon and Hongbin were the only friends he ever got and now he messed things up. Hakyeon could only cry silently. He covered his whole face with his shaking hands, unable to bear Taekwoon's gaze. 

 

"Hyung," he heard Hongbin's voice, but he couldn't bring himself to show his face, much more to look Hongbin in the eyes. His eyelids were feeling heavy again, and his body felt numb. The last thing Hakyeon heard was Raven purring somewhere beside him. And then it was all black again.

 

-=o0o=-

 

When Hakyeon woke up, he was back on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a while, before his memories filled in and he shot up, wondering if it was all just a nightmare - god he hoped it was. 

 

He looked around the room. Raven was sleeping on the bed beside him. The sun was setting and he could see the hues from his window. Taekwoon was nowhere to be found. He felt his stomach drop. 

 

"Hakyeon," Raven called, raising her head.

 

"I..." Hakyeon brushed a hand through his hair. His headache was gone, and so was the burning feeling. But he still felt incredibly heavy. "I... messed up, didn't I?" His voice cracked and his eyes were starting to well up with tears again.

 

"Hakyeon, you were sick. It wasn't your fault." Raven moved closer to him and purred.

 

Hakyeon clutched his head again. "I should have listen to you when you told me to stay in bed."

 

"Well, that's true. Take note of that. You should always listen to me."

 

Hakyeon's eyes widened with even more realization. "When I woke up, you were saying something about my eyes." He looked at Raven apologetically. "Were they already a different color back then? And when I told you to shut up... Raven, omygod, I'm so sorry."

 

"It's fine," Raven answered. "You know I don't feel anything about the charm. It's no big deal."

 

 

"Hongbin and Taekwoon... They both probably hate me now. Taekwoon should just tie me up and stake me or something."

 

"Hakyeon, please keep your kinks to yourself," Raven snorted.

 

Hakyeon glared at her. "I'm not joking, Raven. I deserve to die. Get burned alive or something. Hongbin had been nothing but kind to me and he-"

 

"Is very much all right, thank you."

 

Hakyeon's head snapped towards the door so quickly that he swore he heard a few of his bones crack some popping sounds, but he couldn't care less. What he cared about was that Hongbin was walking into his room carrying a tray of hot soup and bread.

 

Hakyeon backed up to his bed, pushing his back hard against the wall and curling his legs up. "Don't!" He yelled. Hongbin paused for a second, but then continued walking towards him.

 

"Don't come near me! Hongbin, Please!"

 

So Hongbin stopped, looking worried. "Don't worry," he coaxed softly, taking just one tentative step forward. "I just came to bring you food. I won't touch you or anything. Don't be scared."

 

Hakyeon gasped. "It's not about me! Hongbin... It's dangerous for you to be around me."

 

"I told you, I'm okay." Hongbin smiled at him, taking another step towards the bed. Hakyeon freaked out and jumped off, running to the corner farthest away from Hongbin. Raven just growled from the bed.

 

Hongbin sighed and decided to just walk briskly to put the tray on the bedside table. He then straightened up and faced Hakyeon directly, crossing his arms and frowning at him.

 

"I'm offended that you're acting like I'm going to assault you."

 

Hakyeon just stared at him confused. His feet were bare and cold against the floor, but he could feel heat flush across his face. "I'm... sorry. It's not that. If anyone should be traumatized, it's you. I just don't trust myself. That's why... I'm just really sorry, Hongbin. I..."

 

"How many times do I have to tell you it's okay? I'm okay. Stop apologizing. Come here. And eat!"

 

"Huh?"

 

"You were sick and you haven't eaten anything the whole day, have you?"

 

Hakyeon unconsciously rubbed his stomach. Now that Hongbin mentioned it, he could feel his stomach growling.

 

"But... the charm..."

 

"Hyung, I don't have enough patience for this." Hongbin jumped across the bed, walked towards Hakyeon, and grabbed his arm, dragging him back to sit on the bed. 

 

Hakyeon was about to panic, but then noticed a familiar bracelet with tiny blue gems around Hongbin's wrist while he was getting dragged towards the bed. He wasn't sure if it made him feel any better or worse.

 

"You need to eat," Hongbin growled impatiently, but he gently pushed Hakyeon to sit on the bed. He also sat beside Hakyeon and then scooped up a spoonful of pumpkin soup to feed him. Raven sat beside them and rested her head on Hakyeon's lap.

 

Hakyeon still sat frozen, eyes fixed on the bracelet on Hongbin's wrist. At this point, Hongbin just forcefully shoved the spoon into Hakyeon's mouth, burning his lips and tongue a little. "We prepared something easy to swallow. I don't have all day so please eat properly. Otherwise, you'll get hurt."

 

Hakyeon whimpered as Hongbin scooped another spoonful and raised it up to his mouth. He had no choice but to blow and cool it down, and then then slurp it up. Hongbin then took a piece of the bread and handed it to him.

 

"Thank you," Hakyeon murmured. His voice was shaking, and so were his hands. Even as he ate the bread Hongbin gave him, he was still terrified of what happened. He didn't dare to look at Hongbin in the face. Instead, he kept staring at Taekwoon's bracelet on Hongbin's hand.

 

"Are you feeling better?" Hongbin asked.

 

Physically, Hakyeon was all good. But he couldn't bring himself to say yes. Not when he had let his charm run out of control and get his friends into trouble.

  

"You owe me a healing potion. We just grabbed one from the trading box and Taekwoon said you currently don't have spare supply."

 

"Aah," The gears in Hakyeon's brain finally clicked. "The nightshade! I was poisoned by the nightshade?!"

 

"Yeah," Hongbin replied. "That's what Taekwoon-hyung guessed too. You probably just healed your cut but did not get rid of the poison. It's a good thing your potion worked against it though."

 

Hakyeon cursed under his breath. He felt so stupid, knowing the plant was dangerous and yet he let himself get poisoned like that. "I'm so sorry, Hongbin. You shouldn't have been dragged into this." Hongbin was going to interrupt, but Hakyeon wouldn't have it. "Don't say it was not my fault, because it was. I should have been more careful and I should have stayed back when I knew I wasn't feeling well, but I was too stubborn. I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you. I didn't realize I was so sick and the charm got out of control."

  

"Okay. I accept your apology. Let's leave it at that and move on."

 

Hakyeon finally looked at him, examining his face. Hongbin was just smiling at him, dimples popping, and eyes calm as they could be. "Just like that? How can you just leave it like that? It's not even the first time you got affected by the charm!"

 

"Hyung, even before I lost the control of my limbs to your magic, I was going to hold you anyway. You looked terrible when I saw you, and I knew you needed help. Honestly, I could barely tell the difference between what I wanted to do from what you made me do. "

 

"But didn't it feel... Weird to you? The charm controlling you?"

 

Hongbin's face turned just tiny bit redder, but his expression barely changed. "It's not as unpleasant as people said it would be. Don't worry about it."

 

"What about your resistance gem? You said that was expensive and--"

 

"Yeah. It just shattered in to pieces. I would appreciate a little compensation for that. But Taekwoon-hyung had been planning a trade with me so the timing kind of works out. I'll be borrowing his bracelet for a while until I get a new one. This one is much better anyway." Hongbin said, following Hakyeon's gaze which once again trailed to the bracelet on his hand. 

 

"Trade with you? What for? If he loses the bracelet, then..." Hakyeon gulped. If Taekwoon gave his bracelet to Hongbin, then he no longer had resistance to Hakyeon's magic. Was he planning to leave Hakyeon after all? "Is he gone?"

 

"Ahhh that was supposed to be a secret from you." Hongbin bit his lower lip. "He just went out for a while."

 

A secret? Hakyeon was confused. He couldn't stop himself from fidgeting. What if Taekwoon never came back? What if he really hated Hakyeon now?

 

He could still remember how Taekwoon stared at him after ripping him apart from Hongbin. Taekwoon was angry. Perhaps disgusted with him.

 

"Taekwoon... Do you think... After what happened, he's going to hunt me down?"

 

"You're a dumbass," Hongbin rolled his eyes. He took the soup bowl and scooped another spoon for Hakyeon, and shoved it to his mouth. 

 

Hakyeon frowned at him.

 

"Do you think if we blamed you for what happened, I would still be here forcing you to eat? Or do you think I'm feeding you more poison?"

 

"No! No, Hongbin, of course not. It's just..." Hakyeon bit his lip. "I don't know. I'm just scared. Of everything. Of losing everything."

 

"Look," Hongbin breathed deeply before meeting Hakyeon's gaze. "I get why you would be scared of your own magic, especially after seeing just how powerful you are, enough to shatter a resistance gem out of the blue. But I'm literally right here, trying to take care of you. We're your friends, for goodness' sake! Can't you have a little more faith in us?"

 

Hakyeon clutched the loaf of bread in his hands. He tried to blink back tears, but they fell down his cheeks anyway. Hongbin was way too kind to him.

 

Hongbin hissed as he reached out and wiped Hakyeon's tears with his thumb. "I don't know if this is new knowledge to you, but I had always known how strong your magic was and that did not stop me from coming here. I've dealt with lots of other sorcerers before, but I only know exactly two persons who can make their magical items one hundred percent effective. You're one of them." He continued feeding Hakyeon, whose tears still kept rolling down his cheeks. "The resistance gems we have are almost always effective, except when we're around you. The other merchants don't hate you for being an enchanter. They deal with your kind every now and then. But they are scared of you, because they know how powerful you are."

 

Hakyeon huffed. "Then why were you not scared of me?"

 

"Because I could tell you're a good person. You've always tried to suppress your magic for our sake. For someone with so much power, that's a really difficult thing to do, but you always tried your best. You've actually done a really great job. Otherwise, my gem should have been overpowered and shattered long time ago." 

 

"You say that, but I've lost controlled a couple of times even when I wasn't sick." 

 

"It's easier to lose control and get overpowered when emotions are involved." Hongbin put down the bowl and just held it over his lap. His gaze suddenly turning away from Hakyeon as he mindlessly stirred what remained of the soup. A smile was still plastered on his face but it felt kind of stiff. "You're a really good guy, Hyung. I envy Taekwoon-hyung."

 

Hakyeon squinted, trying to make the connection between Hongbin's words. But he got distracted by the thought of Taekwoon. 

 

"Taekwoon's bracelet... If I shattered your necklace, won't the same thing happen with the bracelet?"

 

"I don't think so. I could still feel your magic in the air but this one is definitely stronger than any other stone." Hongbin raised his hand and inspected the said bracelet. "I told you I knew two powerful sorcerers, right? The other one made this."

 

"You know who made it? Taekwoon said it was his mother's--" And then it clicked inside Hakyeon's head. The one from Taekwoon's hometown. The one he originally set out to find.

 

"He was the one that Taekwoon used to live with," Hongbin added.

 

"Who is that sorcerer and what was he to Taekwoon? Why did they part ways?"

 

Hongbin shrugged. "That's not my story to tell."

 

"You and Taekwoon share so many secrets with each other. I just.. want to know..."

 

"Then you should ask him yourself. I'm not a messenger between some star-crossed lovers."

 

Hakyeon pouted, his head tilting to the side. "It's strange how you and Taekwoon always say the exact same thing. He told me that too."

 

"Well, we are good friends who have a lot more in common that I would like to admit. We also probably feel the same way about certain things," Hongbin threw a side glance at Hakyeon. He then sighed and stood up, setting the bowl down on the bedside table again. "And you're a dumbass."

 

Hakyeon frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" It was time for Raven to remind them of her presence by snorting at Hakyeon, who then glared at her.

 

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree. You're a dumbass." She jumped off the bed before Hakyeon could grab her fur.

 

"You're all ganging up on me now, huh?" Hakyeon pouted.

 

Hongbin just scratched his head and laughed. He knelt on one knee to pet Raven's head. "Send my regards to Taekwoon-hyung."

 

"You're leaving? You're not gonna wait for him?" Hakyeon's gaze trailed down from Hongbin's face back to the bracelet on his wrist. Taekwoon no longer had resistance, and Hakyeon was terrified of what would happen if he came back. But more than anything, he was afraid if Taekwoon would not come back at all.

 

Hongbin just watched him for a few seconds, pursing his lips in understanding. "Don't worry. He's stronger than you think he is. He'll be back soon and tell you everything you want to know about him."

 

Hakyeon looked at him, worry still visible in his eyes.

 

"I assure you. It's going to be okay."

 

Hakyeon pursed his lips and nodded. He just had to take Hongbin's word for it. 

 

"You won't see me for a while though."

 

Hakyeon frowned. "Because of what happened?"

 

"No!" Hongbin replied. "I got the information I needed from Taekwoon-hyung after completing our trade, so I'm going to find that sorcerer and ask for my own resistance jewel. Then I'll come back and return this one to hyung."

 

"Oh," Hakyeon felt a slight pang on his chest. He felt even more guilty of breaking Hongbin's jewel and now, he wouldn't see him for a while. "I'm gonna miss you."

 

Hongbin sighed. He walked back towards Hakyeon and opened his arms. "This is the first time I can confidently tell you I'm not doing this because of your magic. Come here and let me hug you."

 

Hakyeon's vision blurred again as he stood up and ran into Hongbin's arms, but this time he did not black out. His eyes were just full of tears. Heart warm and feelings touched. Hongbin hugged him tight. Hakyeon could have sworn he also felt a drop of tear on his shoulder, but Hongbin's face was bright and tear stain-free when he pulled back.

 

"Hey, don't cry too hard," Hongbin chuckled, hands still resting on either side of Hakyeon's waist. "You sound like it's our final goodbye. I'll only be gone for a month or two. I'll be back."

 

"Thank you, Hongbin-ahh," Hakyeon kept crying anyway. "For being my very first friend."

 

"I'm expecting you to be much happier with yourself when I return. Be happy, Cha Hakyeon."

 

Hakyeon sniffed and nodded. He insisted on walking Hongbin out to the porch even though Hongbin told him to just stay in bed. They hugged each other one last time before Hongbin leaned forward and planted a light peck on Hakyeon's cheek.

 

"Tell Taekwoon-hyung I wish him luck." Hongbin fully let go of Hakyeon, who went back to looking confused. "Not that he needs it," he muttered with a smile.

 

Hakyeon just stared open-mouthed as Hongbin's wagon left. He tried to recall everything Hongbin said and piece them all together but he just got more confused the more he thought about it.

 

He went back inside the house, dropping by his workshop to check on things, though Raven prohibited him from doing any work. Taekwoon had already unpacked the trading boxes from Hongbin and arranged all items in their proper places. Everything was in order. But Hakyeon somehow felt uncomfortable.

 

Taekwoon was never really talkative. He responded well to Hakyeon's stories and he occasionally shared stories of his own, but he was really more of a listener than a talker. Instead, his mere presence urged Hakyeon to speak more so it was rarely quiet ever since Taekwoon lived with him. Now that he was not around, the house was strangely quiet, except for the occasional whimper from Raven whenever she stretched out after napping or sitting for too long.

 

Hakyeon found himself growing anxious as he waited for Taekwoon in the living room. Hongbin assured him Taekwoon would come back, but Hakyeon had been waiting for about an hour and there was still no sign of Taekwoon. The sun had set and it was growing dark outside. The silence was eating Hakyeon up.

 

"You should rest," Raven told him.

 

"I've been sleeping the whole day."

 

"You were sick, Hakyeon." She insisted. "Don't stress yourself. Taekwoon will be back."

 

"Do you know where he went?"

 

"No. He didn't share their secrets with me. But he told me to watch over you until he comes back. So that's what I'm doing."

 

"So he said he'll come back?"

 

Raven rolled her eyes. "We've told you a hundred times, dumbass. Don't you ever listen?"

 

Hakyeon pouted. "You're mean."

 

"You're stubborn."

 

"Fine." Hakyeon may have spent the whole day in bed, but he did not actually feel rested. He no longer felt feverish but his body still felt heavy, his shoulders drooped like the remnants of the poison was still wearing him down. He was still a little full from when Hongbin fed him, so he decided to just get some snacks instead of having a full meal for dinner. Then he went to the bathroom to wash and freshen himself up.

 

He felt so much better by the time he lay down on his bed again, still anxious and worried that Taekwoon hadn't returned yet, but he let himself drowse back to sleep.

 

At some point in the middle of the night, Hakyeon vaguely remember waking up and feeling long, slender fingers brush through his hair. A palm rested on his forehead to check for temperature, and a soft voice whispered into his ear. But the sleep was heavy on his eyes and he couldn't really make out what was happening, if it was even real or just a product of his dreams. He groaned, but he was hushed back to sleep by the same soft voice he had been waiting to hear.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive the ChaBin trash in me.  
> Tho it was part of the original plot, the ChaBin part got so long that I had to make it a whole chapter lol  
> eNchanter ends in 5 Chapters!  
> And may or may not have an epilogue to be posted as a separate fic. :)


	5. Chapter 5

When he woke up again, Hakyeon was greeted by the warm sunlight on his face. The curtains had been pulled open and Raven was sitting by the window.

 

"He's downstairs," was her only greeting.

 

Hakyeon rubbed his eyes and blinked. Raven's words sunk in slower than they should have, but when they did, Hakyeon jumped off the bed and hurriedly ran downstairs. He found Taekwoon at the kitchen, broad back facing the door while he packed food into small containers.

 

Taekwoon paused for a second before continuing what he was doing. He must have felt Hakyeon's presence by the door because he spoke without turning to face him. "Do you think you've recovered enough to walk through the forest?"

 

Hakyeon walked towards him and watched as he arranged picnic boxes on the table. Taekwoon barely spared him a look.

 

"I'm good as new. Like I didn't get sick at all. But where do you plan to go?"

 

"Just some place out there."

 

Hakyeon stared at him, question marks all over his face, but Taekwoon kept silent. He covered the last box of rolled omelettes and rice balls before humming and packing all the boxes in a satchel - a new one that Hakyeon had never seen before.

 

"Aren't you going to at least wash your face before we go?"

 

"Right," Hakyeon bit his lower lip, wondering if he should talk to Taekwoon first before they went anywhere. He didn't really know where to start though, so he just did as Taekwoon said.

 

When he finished washing up and changing his clothes, Taekwoon was already out waiting by the porch. His satchel hang on his shoulder, with his hands holding the string and the base to support the weight of their food.

 

"What about Raven?" Hakyeon asked, noticing that his cat was not going out with them.

 

"Hmmm... She said she's staying back to watch the house."

 

"She's not a dog for her to keep watch," Hakyeon pouted. "Did you leave her something for breakfast?"

 

"Of course," Taekwoon replied, seeming awkward and stiff. "She's had breakfast earlier."

 

"Oh," Hakyeon suddenly felt awkward too, realizing he might have sounded like he did not want to go alone with Taekwoon, which definitely was not the case. He did have his worries though, since Taekwoon no longer had his bracelet and Hakyeon could be an emotional mess. Raven was always helpful in pulling him back at bay whenever things got dangerous with Hongbin.

 

"Let's go." Taekwoon started walking, notably avoiding eye contact with Hakyeon.

 

Hakyeon followed, running to catch up to Taekwoon so they could walk side by side. But even then, he kept at least half a meter distance between them instead of clinging on to his arm like he usually would.

 

They walked in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, until Hakyeon couldn't stand it anymore. He did not want to be awkward with Taekwoon.

 

"Taekwoon," he called out nervously. Taekwoon just glanced at him, but then kept his gaze back on the road. Hakyeon pursed his lips, trying to decide what to ask first.

 

"Yesterday, where did you go?"

 

"I had to fix some things."

 

Hakyeon frowned. He was expecting clear, concise answers.

 

"When did you get back?"

 

"I'm not sure. I lost track of time and before I knew it, it was already dark."

 

"Was it so important that you stayed out so late?"

 

"Yeah, kind of."

 

"More important than me being sick?"

 

Taekwoon stopped walking, turning to face Hakyeon. "Do you think I wanted to leave you alone with Kong after what happened?" For a split second, Hakyeon thought he looked very, very upset. His eyes looked sharper than usual, his lips tight and jaws obviously tensed. But then he sighed, and his expression changed into a gentler one, obviously calming himself down.

 

"I..." Hakyeon had to take a deep breath as well, to make sure his voice would not crack as he spoke. He did not want Taekwoon to be mad at him. He wouldn't know what to do if Taekwoon hated him. "Yesterday, with Hongbin... I really didn't mean for that to happen. I'm really sorry that happened."

 

"I know. It wasn't your fault," Taekwoon said, turning to his side and avoiding Hakyeon's eyes again. "What I meant was that I was worried. I wasn't sure if the bracelet was strong enough to protect you both."

 

"Then why did you leave?"

 

"Kong assured me the healing potion was working. And..."

 

Taekwoon hesitated. He still didn't face him, but he could feel the weight of Hakyeon's expectant stare. "I was too ashamed to show my face to you."

 

Hakyeon noticed Taekwoon gripped the string of his satchel tighter. He was still avoiding Hakyeon's eyes, but Hakyeon could feel the sincerity in his voice. 

 

"When I saw what was happening, I misunderstood. Your eyes looked different, so I thought..." Taekwoon bit his lower lip as he glanced at Hakyeon with guilt. "I'm sorry I didn't go to your side to even ask if you were okay. I really am." 

 

If Hakyeon was honest, it did hurt him that Taekwoon looked at him like he was some monster. But it wasn't like he did not understand how Taekwoon must have felt. Truthfully, he was upset with himself too. "It's okay. I probably would have thought the same if I were you."

 

"No. You did not deserve that, Hakyeon. I should have known right away. You've been sick since morning and I did not even realize. I was being stupid and... I let my emotions get the best of me. I wanted to take care of you but I felt like I didn't have the right to be there. I was supposed to be your friend."

 

"Taekwoon..." Hakyeon felt his chest tighten. He was relieved and sad at the same time. "It wasn't your fault. It was all me. But I was more scared when I woke up and you weren't there. I thought you hated me."

 

"I would never!" Taekwoon suddenly stopped walking again and faced him as he repeated. "I would never hate you! You're nothing but lovely, Hakyeon-ah."

 

"Thank you, Taekwoon." Hakyeon smiled. It was the first smile they exchanged for the day, and it finally made them both feel better about what happened.

 

"Can I ask you something?" Taekwoon said as they continued walking.  "How did it happen? I know you wouldn't have wanted to use your magic on Kong, but while it was happening, did you... perhaps... actually wanted him to do what you made him do?"

 

"Of course not!" Hakyeon answered on instinct. But then he thought twice about it. "I mean maybe..."

 

"Did you want him to hold you like that?" Taekwoon stared at him awkwardly, though this time he did not stop walking.

 

"Taekwoon, I just remember seeing you guys by the door, and then you disappeared and he was just looking at me. Next thing I knew, I couldn't see anything anymore. I just thought I needed to hold on to someone. I was scared and I wanted someone to tell me it was going to be okay. I didn't really realize what was happening until you pulled me away from him."

 

Taekwoon hummed. "So if I did not go out to pick the trading box, it could have been me?"

 

"Perhaps? But you wouldn't have been affected the charm, right?"

 

"I don't know. You were really out of control yesterday. Maybe you could have overpowered me, too."

 

Hakyeon felt a chill down his spine. His hand twitched involuntarily as he thought about the events of the previous day. Hongbin did tell him his magic was very powerful, and Hakyeon once again felt scared of himself. He took a step to his side, creating more distance between them, hoping his charm would just stay within his space and not reach Taekwoon.

 

The action did not go unnoticed by Taekwoon. He glanced at Hakyeon, this time with what seemed like a patronizing gaze, which just made Hakyeon more uncomfortable.

 

It took a while before he found his voice to ask Taekwoon again. "Your bracelet... Why did you give it to Hongbin?"

 

"Because his jewel shattered. It would be dangerous for a merchant if he didn't have resistance."

 

"I know. But... He would have gotten a new jewel one way or another. Did you really have to give yours to him?"

 

"It would take a while before he gets one. Finding the person who made my bracelet will take a while. Jewels from the underground market are hard to obtain, too. Even for high-profile merchants like Kong, it would be tough to get a new one."

 

"Wait, Hongbin is a high profile merchant?"

 

"You didn't know?" Taekwoon raised a brow. "You've been trading with him for years."

 

"I guess I didn't know a lot of things about the two of you." Hakyeon was starting to sulk. Hongbin and Taekwoon knew so much about each other and he was basically still a stranger to them. No matter how he felt about them, Hakyeon barely knew anything about their lives.

 

Taekwoon then went close and patted his shoulder. Hakyeon stiffened, panicking because he knew he was getting riled up and Taekwoon did not have his bracelet. He quickly stepped away, but Taekwoon's long arm still reached him.

 

"Taekwoon... Are you going to keep living with me?"

 

Taekwoon's hand was still on Hakyeon's shoulder but his fingers subtly fidgeted with Hakyeon's shirt. "Do you want me to leave?"

 

"I don't want you to leave," Hakyeon said earnestly. "But how are you going to deal with the charm until Hongbin returns your bracelet?"

 

"Uhhh... Well, that's... Something I haven't told you yet." Taekwoon bit his lip, his hand sliding from Hakyeon's shoulder down to the arch of his back. He patted Hakyeon awkwardly, earning him a similarly awkward stare from Hakyeon.

 

"What?"

 

"The bracelet does have strong resistance to sorcerer magic, and it aids me during intense encounters, but its value to me is more sentimental than actual resistance."

 

"I don't get it." Hakyeon couldn't help the crease on his forehead, the way his fringe fell on his face making him look like he had a single long bushy eyebrow.

 

"He's my father," Taekwoon said. "That sorcerer..."

 

"What?"

 

"He's also an enchanter."

 

Hakyeon's eyes widened as he took in this new information. "Are you telling me you're also an enchanter?!"

 

"No," Taekwoon answered flatly. "I don't have a single lick of magic in me. I mean, in a sense, maybe I do. But I can't wield it like you do. I was just born with resistance to most types of magic - including an enchanter's charm."

 

Hakyeon stopped walking again and instead just gaped at Taekwoon, whose hand still rested on his lower back. "Explain yourself, Jung Taekwoon! Why are you only telling me this now?!"

 

"I was just uncomfortable talking about some stuff." Taekwoon took a deep breath. He retracted his hand from Hakyeon's back and just fiddled with the string of his new satchel. "Because he was an enchanter, my father was always afraid that he was unintentionally forcing my mother to do things with his magic. He found out that the bracelet was useless against him because he was the one who cast the protective magic on it. I... Was conceived under the effect of the charm."

 

"Omygod, Taekwoon... I'm so sorry about that." The thought terrified Hakyeon. It was one of the things that he already gave up on, because he knew making love to someone without the charm getting in the way was impossible.

 

"Don't get me wrong. My mother loved him and it wasn't against her will at all. But my stupid old man thought he forced it on her and fled out of guilt. He thought they could never live together like a normal couple. So he left, without even knowing I was on the way."

 

Hakyeon gulped. Taekwoon's father sounded very much like him - dumb and scared and unable to form proper relationships with other people.

 

Seeing the expression on Hakyeon's face tense up more, Taekwoon stretched out a hand towards him and pursed a smile.

 

Hakyeon took his hand and let himself be led further into the forest. He just realized they were walking down a familiar path, but then Taekwoon tugged him to make an unexpected turn right before they reached the lake.

 

"When I was old enough, I left my hometown to find him. I thought he was bad for leaving us behind but it turned out he was just dumb and well, very powerful. Exactly like you, to be honest."

 

Hakyeon pouted. "Sorry I'm stupid.."

 

Taekwoon chuckled. "Anyway, when I found him, I stayed with him for a while, just to get to know him a little. That was when I met Kong."

 

"Hongbin said you both just disappeared?"

 

"I convinced him to go back to my hometown and stay with my mother, which he did. But I just couldn't stay there... I was still young and was high from my sorcerer hunting adventures. I thought I couldn't just stay confined in one place like that anymore. So I packed my bags and left again."

 

"Then..." Hakyeon could tell the exact moment his heart started beating faster. He paused and looked straight into Taekwoon's eyes as he asked, "Why are you staying with me? When are you going to pack your bags and leave me?"

 

Taekwoon was stunned for a moment, surprised not just by the question, but by the way it was asked. Hakyeon had already assumed that Taekwoon would definitely leave. He was prepared to be left behind.

 

"I'm not," Taekwoon answered. He held Hakyeon's gaze for a while before turning his head and looking up the gigantic oak tree atop the hill.

 

Hakyeon followed his gaze. It wasn't the tree Taekwoon was looking at. Beside the thick tree trunk was a small house.

 

Before Hakyeon could ask anything, Taekwoon had pulled him towards the uphill road. 

 

"How are you feeling? Do you think you can climb?"

 

Hakyeon nodded. He was not very good with heights, but the hill wasn't that high and a clear path had been made for them to walk through. It was barely a climb.

 

"Tell me if you're tired, okay?" Taekwoon rubbed the back of his hand with a thumb. "I don't want you to strain yourself while you're still recovering."

 

Hakyeon laughed. "Then why did you even ask me to come here?" He started walking up the hill with Taekwoon in tow, as it seemed like neither of them wanted to let go of each other's hand.

 

"I..." Taekwoon scratched his head with his other hand. "Sorry... I wanted to make it up to you for the way I acted yesterday, so I wanted to bring you here sooner."

 

"Why..." Hakyeon paused and pulled on Taekwoon's hand. "What's up there?"

 

Taekwoon just smiled and urged Hakyeon to climb again. "You'll see."

 

 

They continued walking while Taekwoon refused to answer any more questions from Hakyeon. Instead, he just hummed a song and smiled, confusing Hakyeon even more.

 

When they reached the peak, Hakyeon was a little tired but still fairly spirited. What made him breathless though, was when Taekwoon spun him around and made him face the view.

 

Hakyeon loved the view whenever he sat by the lake, but from where they stood beside the oak tree, he could see the full scenery around the lake.  He wasn't just seeing a half of the water and the facade of the trees like he did when he sat below and dipped his legs in to the lake. He was seeing entirety of it, the water's surface glistening with the sunlight, and half reflecting the skies while also allowing for the deeper color of what was under it. He was seeing the top of those trees, and the trees behind them, and further out until the greens meet the skyline. His eyes could probably only reach half of the forest, but it was wide, and Hakyeon felt like he could almost see the whole of it. The wind blew cold on his face and he just realized that the foliage season was starting as he stared at half of the forest beginning to change color.

 

"Omygod, Taekwoon..." Hakyeon almost had tears in his eyes as he took in the beautiful view. He turned around to face Taekwoon, only to have a blue scarf hooped over his head.

 

Taekwoon pulled him close through the ends of the scarf and then properly wrapped it around his neck. "It's colder here than down below. You can't get sick again." They stood together for minute, just admiring the view before Taekwoon turned around and headed towards the house.

 

"Taekwoon..."

 

"Enjoy the view as much as you want. I'll go prepare the table for breakfast," Taekwoon replied without looking back at him.

 

Hakyeon bit his lip. He turned his head to look at the lake again, and then back at Taekwoon. He was torn, wanting stay out and wanting to follow Taekwoon at the same time. In the end, he ran after Taekwoon and hugged him from behind, trapping Taekwoon within his arms and effectively stopping him from walking.

 

"Thank you, Taekwoon." Hakyeon whispered as he leaned his forehead down against Taekwoon's broad shoulder. "I love it."

 

Taekwoon pulled his arms free and then placed his hands over Hakyeon's arms, still wrapped around his waist. He didn't say anything, but he leaned into Hakyeon's touch and they stayed like that for a while, until Hakyeon's stomach started growling.

 

Hakyeon immediately pulled away out of embarrassment while Taekwoon just chuckled.

 

"Let's go in and have breakfast."

 

Hakyeon followed Taekwoon towards the house but he peeked inside first, taking a careful look around before taking a step in.

 

It was a fairly small house, with everything in a single room. Technically, there wasn't even a room. Hakyeon could see a big bed on one corner, a fireplace right on the opposite side, a few chairs, and then a small dining table in the middle. There were also some weapons, like a glaive, and a battered samurai hanging on the wall. An old but elegant-looking harp was sitting near one of the windows, among other things that looked like musical instruments to Hakyeon.

 

"Come here and eat." Taekwoon just finished setting utensils on the table. 

 

Hakyeon nodded and walked towards him. He picked up a fork and immediately pitched a bit of the omelette into his mouth. He gave the house another once-over before sitting down and facing Taekwoon.

 

"Did you build this house? Since when have you been working on this?" Hakyeon continued eating whatever Taekwoon had laid out on the table. He was very hungry, but he was also very curious. "Where did you even get all of these things? It must have taken a lot to make this."

 

"Partly. It was barely a house when I found it all covered in shrubs and vines. I just made some repairs, and then I traded my old things with the merchants to get more tools and fully furnish it."

 

Hakyeon put down his fork and stared at him. "You found your things?"

 

"Yes."

 

"All of them?"

 

"Yes. The third week in. I found my monkey theif carrying my satchel and sword."

 

"Third week?! Taekwoon!" Hakyeon didn't mean to yell. He wasn't even mad. Just surprised, maybe.

 

Taekwoon put up a pleading face, like a lost puppy in the woods - or a kitten, maybe. Taekwoon had always been more cat-faced. "I'm sorry I lied."

 

Hakyeon pouted, and it wasn't the cute pout he always sported (Though Taekwoon would argue it was still cute). He was trying to play grumpy and truthfully, a part of him knew he should be angry. Taekwoon wasn't just hiding things from him. He also lied. "Why?"

 

"I... Needed a reason to stay with you. I was afraid if I told you I found my things, you'd make me leave."

 

"I would have let you stay without a reason! If you just asked -"

 

"But I couldn't ask!" Taekwoon interrupted. "I knew you would let me, but Hakyeon, you and I both know... It was strange for me to stay in your house in the first place. You couldn't directly ask me to stay either even though you were craving for companionship. You also needed that excuse."

 

"That's true." Hakyeon leaned back on his chair. Taekwoon did have a point. "Still," he pouted, more cutely this time. "You could have let me known sooner."

 

"Sorry."

 

"You haven't answered me yet."

 

"What?"

 

"Why are you staying with me? Why lie and go through all this trouble?"

 

Taekwoon just shrugged.

 

"Did you know that Raven and I talked about you being a sorcerer hunter? There was an instance when I considered you were planning to kill me in my sleep because why else would you want to stay with me?"

 

"Did you really believe I would hurt you?"

 

"No. But the thought crossed mind."

 

In the end, Hakyeon could only giggle. It was pretty silly for both of them. "So what? Were you planning to live here if I threw you out of my house?"

 

"That was... A backup plan," Taekwoon now had a mischievous smirk on his face. "I knew you wouldn't do that."

 

Hakyeon rolled his eyes. Taekwoon could be a little bit sassy sometimes. 

 

"But other than that, I really wanted to bring you here. I knew you would love the view," the smirk slowly turned into a soft, warm smile, which just made Hakyeon feel like he was melting into a puddle of goo. "I told you before... You're pretty like a scenery. This place really reminded me of you."

 

That was enough to make Hakyeon blush. He barely cared about the charm leaking anymore, hoping Taekwoon's natural resistance was enough to counter it. He couldn't think of how to respond, so he just happily finished his breakfast. Taekwoon watched and ate with him just as happily.

 

"Rest up," Taekwoon said after eating. "I'll clean up and take care of everything." And indeed, he had everything prepared, with nothing else for Hakyeon to do but enjoy.

 

Hakyeon was not really used to being pampered like that. Usually, he was the one who pampered his family, Raven, and at some point, even Taekwoon. It was strange, suddenly having someone take care of him to that extent, but Hakyeon wouldn't complain. It was nice, having Taekwoon lay down a cloth on the ground so they could sit outside the house and enjoy the view. He also brought out blankets to keep them from the cold, and a book for Hakyeon to read if he ever got bored.

 

Hakyeon then realized just how much Taekwoon prepared for it, seeing as he had everything ready.

 

"All the things you have here, you got from the merchants?" Hakyeon asked when they were settled beside the oak tree. He laid his head on Taekwoon's lap, which the latter did not seem to mind. In fact, it was like Taekwoon expected him to do it as soon as he sat down. "Is this why you offered to work for me? You've been trading with them behind my back and then secretly transporting things here?"

 

"Mostly, yeah." Taekwoon answered while running his fingers through Hakyeon's soft hair. "The house itself just needed some repairs. The chairs were hand- made but the rest are either traded with the merchants or bought from town. The harp was an expensive trade. I had to give up my fighting sword for it."

 

"I was going to ask about that. You have so many instruments in there."

 

"I miss playing music," Taekwoon smiled as he stared longingly into space. "I used to play a lot and write songs, but ever since I left my hometown, I haven't touched a single instrument."

 

"You have to play for me then!"

 

"I would," Taekwoon smiled at him. "One reason I got them is so that I could play you some music while you dance."

 

"Ohh," Hakyeon stilled for a moment. So Taekwoon did remember the promise about him dancing! "I thought you weren't interested anymore."

 

"I never forgot about your dancing. From the first time I saw you... You didn't even have music back then, but it was beautiful."

 

"Do you want me to dance now?"

 

"Not now. I told you to just rest today."

 

Hakyeon giggled. He felt so happy and at peace, just being with Taekwoon. Whatever happened the previous day was forgotten. The rest of his unanswered questions were pushed to the back of his head.

 

They spent the whole day together at the hilltop. Hakyeon finished reading the book in the morning, while Taekwoon just napped beside him. By noon, Taekwoon went to prepare lunch and Hakyeon just watched him cook the food he stocked up in the house.

 

"You really have everything," Hakyeon mused after eating. "You're making me contemplate living here instead."

 

"You can't," Taekwoon answered. "There's no water supply here. I had to fetch water from the lake so we could use some today. Also the merchants won't come up here just to trade with you."

 

"Ahhh, right. I forgot about the merchants."

 

"We can come up here from time to time. It's a nice place to just sit and laze around."

 

"Right, let's bring Raven next time!" Hakyeon giggled excitedly.

 

"Of course..." Taekwoon bit his lip. "I'm not sure Raven would like the cold though."

 

"That's true. She's sensitive with the cold... Ah but there's a fireplace. She'll do just fine."

 

Taekwoon scratched his nose. "Yeah. Sure," he chuckled under his breath.

 

"What?"

 

"Nothing," Taekwoon smiled.

 

He led Hakyeon to sit by the window where he kept all of his instruments and let him pick one he wanted to hear. Hakyeon immediately picked the bagpipe, so Taekwoon played a couple of songs for him until his jaws hurt.

 

To Hakyeon's credit, he offered to give him a massage, which Taekwoon initially refused.

 

"I'm all recovered, Taekwoon-ahh. It's you who must rest now. You worked so hard," Hakyeon insisted. "I was pleasantly surprised and I love everything about this place. Let me at least give you a massage."

 

He stood behind Taekwoon and started kneading on his shoulders, leaving no room for Taekwoon's arguments. 

 

"Raven said you sometimes use magic when you touch her. To make her feel better." Taekwoon leaned into Hakyeon's touch, letting him work wonders on the tight knots on his shoulders and back.

 

"Do you think I'd do the same to you?l Hakyeon chuckled. "Would you feel it if I did?"

 

"Maybe. Should we try? There were times when I took off my bracelet to see if I'd be able to feel your magic, but I didn't get anything unless you were extremely happy or upset."

 

"At this rate, you're gonna be my guinea pig for magic testing."

 

"It's the first time I've been called a guinea pig. People always said I was a cat or a hamster."

 

"Yeah, you look like a cute little hamster."

 

"I'm not cute."

 

"Yes, you are, Taekwoonnie."

 

"I'm not. You are."

 

"You said I was pretty."

 

"You're pretty and cute."

 

Hakyeon tried to bite back the wide grin spreading across his face, but Taekwoon had done and said so much in a day that just made his heart flutter.

 

"Are you using your magic?"

 

"No?"

 

"I could feel it."

 

"What?" Hakyeon immediately withdrew his hands away from Taekwoon's back. "Omygod, I'm sorry."

 

Taekwoon turned around to face him, then held his hands gently, rubbing thumbs against Hakyeon's palms. "Don't be. It feels good."

 

Hakyeon could have sworn Taekwoon's gaze was melting him. It felt all warm and... Loving.

 

"You know, even before Kong's jewel shattered, I contemplated giving him my bracelet. He didn't want to take it, of course, but I wanted him to stop feeling your charm every time he visited."

 

"Yeah, I always felt sorry that he often got affected by-"

 

"No, Hakyeon," Taekwoon interrupted. He stood up from his seat and took a step closer to Hakyeon. "It was not because you can't control it. It was because I was extremely jealous. I was upset that he gets to feel your charm and I don't."

 

Hakyeon's eyes widened, not sure how to take Taekwoon's words.

 

"The charm may feel disgusting to people who don't like you. But for us, it can be... Quite pleasurable."

 

"Taekwoon, omygod... What are you saying?!" Hakyeon's face has gone very red, though probably not as red as Taekwoon's.

 

"I don't mean in a sexual way, although it could also mean that way... I mean..." Taekwoon grunted, lost and confused on what to say. "Don't distract me, I'm trying to focus here!"

 

Hakyeon chuckled. "Focus on what?"

 

"On my confession! I've been running the lines in my head since morning because you kept asking why I'm staying with you!"

 

Hakyeon was stunned. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but the muscles on his face wouldn't move. He could only stare at Taekwoon, mouth hanging agape, not sure what to say or do. It was too much in just one day - finally learning all about Taekwoon's past and family, getting a treat and being pampered, and now receiving an adorably awkward confession. His heart was beating fast, and he knew the charm was filling the whole house but he couldn't even breathe properly, much less calm himself down to take it all in.

 

"I suck at this. I was hoping to wait a while longer because I didn't think I have any right to tell you all this after how I acted yesterday," Taekwoon frowned. He let go of Hakyeon's hands for a moment to pull out a necklace from his trouser's pocket. "But since we've come to this, I'd say it anyway."

 

Hakyeon still stood frozen as Taekwoon's arms hovered around his neck to put the necklace on him. It looked a little similar to Taekwoon's bracelet, with a tiny blue crystal beautifully carved and engraved within a gold pendant holder.

 

"Taekwoon, this is... Beautiful." Hakyeon ran his fingers along the golden chain as he looked at the pendant in awe.

 

"Glad you like it."

 

Taekwoon took a deep breath as he held Hakyeon's hands again. He tried to hold his gaze despite how embarrassed they both were.

 

"I fell for you the moment I saw you by the lake. You were beautiful, Hakyeon-ah. I couldn't take my eyes off you, not even for a second. At first I didn't know what it was that I felt, and for a moment, I considered it could have been the charm when I found out you were an enchanter. So I wanted to stay with you for a while to make sure whether your magic was really that strong to break through twice the resistance I had..." He let go of one of Hakyeon's hands and cupped his face instead. "Or if I really fell for you..."

 

Hakyeon bit his lower lip to stop himself from interrupting Taekwoon.

 

"Every day I spent more time with you, the feeling just grew deeper. You're wonderful Hakyeon. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met." Swiping his thumb over Hakyeon's cheek, Taekwoon took yet another step closer, so that their faces were just a few centimeters away from each other.

 

"I just want to make you happy. Take away all your sorrows, and be by your side. I love you, Cha Hakyeon. I want you to be mine and mine alone."

 

"I..." Hakyeon was not sure how to respond. He had too many things he wanted to say. He just hoped Taekwoon could feel just how happy he was through the leak of the charm. He was way too delighted for it to be concealed. "Right now, you could feel my magic everywhere?"

 

"Yes," Taekwoon smiled. "I'm glad I was able to make you happy today." He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against's Hakyeon's. "It feels nice, Hakyeon. Like you're holding me in your arms, all warm and gentle."

 

"Taekwoon," Hakyeon squeezed on Taekwoon's wrist, on the hand that was carressing his cheek at the moment. "You're not saying this just because of the charm, right?"

 

Taekwoon opened his eyes. "You wanna test my resistance against your magic again?"

 

"No," Hakyeon smilled. "No need for that. I just... Asked to make sure."

 

Taekwoon sighed. "You asked me why I did all of these, why I went through the trouble of repairing this house and taking you here. You asked me why I want to stay with you."

 

He inched closer, pulling on Hakyeon's neck gently and tipping up his chin with a thumb. "This is my answer, Cha Hakyeon."

 

He leaned his head forward and down, so close that their lips were almost touching. But Taekwoon waited. He wanted to make sure Hakyeon was okay with it. So as soon as Hakyeon closed his eyes and slightly parted his lips open, Taekwoon went for a deep but gentle kiss.

 

Taekwoon was completely enchanted and it wasn't just because of Hakyeon's magic. The feeling of Hakyeon's touch, fingers twisting around his wrist and hand, lips nibbing on his own. With or without the charm, Taekwoon could have sworn it was the best feeling he ever felt. And he wanted to let Hakyeon know. He still had some things to say, but he couldn't stop kissing Hakyeon. Each time he paused for breath or try to compose himself again, he just found himself craving Hakyeon's lips again.

 

Thankfully, it seemed like Hakyeon felt the same way. He tipped his feet to get a better reach as he moved his hands to hold on to Taekwoon's neck. His hands brushed through Taekwoon's hair and then stayed there, grabbing on a handful. Meanwhile, Taekwoon's other hand trailed down to Hakyeon's waist.

 

By the time Taekwoon finally managed to pull away, they were both breathless with kiss-swollen lips.

 

"If we don't stop now, I don't think I'll be able to stop ever," Taekwoon panted.

 

Hakyeon licked his lower lip and giggled. "Well, we still have the rest of the day." He could feel his face was flushed and was probably almost as red as his lips, but he didn't care much. Not when Taekwoon was looking just as breathless, lips more plump and a hundred times more enticing.

 

Taekwoon chuckled. And then he settled for one last quick kiss, which earned him groan from Hakyeon when he pulled away again.

 

"You should rest," Taekwoon said. He kissed Hakyeon's forehead.

 

"I'm okay, Taekwoon." Hakyeon pouted. "I'm not sick anymore."

 

"Even so, you should rest." Taekwoon booped Hakyeon's nose with his finger and then giggled. "We have plenty of time to do anything you want. Just not today."

 

Hakyeon hissed. But he let himself be led towards the bed where Taekwoon urged him to lie down.

 

To his suprprise, Taekwoon lay down right beside him and then spooned him in his slender arms.

 

"Ugh," Hakyeon groaned. "How do you expect me to rest when you're holding me like this?"

 

Taekwoon propped himself up and looked at him. "Sorry, was it uncomfortable?"

 

"No, silly," Hakyeon chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Taekwoon's torso too. "It's just making me want to hold you closer too."

 

"Wow, I would have thought you'd be shy and all reserved about sleeping with me because you're not used to it. But you're surprisingly aggressive." Taekwoon laid back again and relaxed on the bed. "It's taking all my self control to resist you right now."

 

"My dad said it's part of an enchanter's ability to be adaptable to romance-related activities. Like I've never kissed anyone before, but kissing you feels natural somehow."

 

"I'm your first kiss?" Taekwoon's smile somehow managed to get wider and Hakyeon just laughed at how shallow it was to make him that happy.

 

"Well, did you think I would have been able to kiss anyone else without the charm going berserk?"

 

"I'm honored to be your first kiss." Taekwoon hugged him tighter and planted a kiss on his forehead. "But go to sleep, Hakyeon. Calm yourself down and rest, before I lose the remaining control I have on myself."

 

"Okay," Hakyeon squirmed around to find a comfortable angle and then laid his head close under Taekwoon's chin. "Thank you," he said. "For everything."

 

Taekwoon only hummed in response.

 

 

Hakyeon was starting to drift off to sleep. He didn't want to admit it, but his body indeed felt tired and Taekwoon was being reasonable in telling him to rest. He closed his eyes and cursed how weak he felt, but Taekwoon was right. They had many days ahead of them.

 

"Please stay with me forever," Hakyeon said through a yawn.

 

"I promise," Taekwoon whispered into his ear. "I love you."

 

"Hmmm," Hakyeon hugged him tighter. It took a while before he got to respond, his eyelids suddenly heavy and lips barely moving. But he got himself to say a soft  "I love you too," before completely falling asleep in Taekwoon's arms.

 

He couldn't have slept any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it~  
> I know this was too much information in one chapter but I had to finish it sooner before I completely lose the will to write it.
> 
> This did not go as well as I planned but I hope you readers enjoyed it.
> 
>  
> 
> **Watch out for a side chapter which will be posted separately because of NSFW content~ haha**
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


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